Don't I Know You?
by hope for eternity
Summary: AU. What if that time Chad and Sonny met wasn't the first time? What if it had been years since they'd last seen each other? What could possibly happen?:D Winner of 'Cutest Channy Story' in MonStErScLosEt's Awards! Hurt/Comfort. Eventual Channy. R&R! ETA next chapter: first week of February 2014
1. Beginnings

**EDIT, DECEMBER 2012: The first ever chapter of Don't I Know You? :) When I first posted this, I had no idea that this story was going to basically grow legs and run far, far away from me. But it did.**

**Thanks to my beta, Polka Dot Jewel!**

* * *

**Don't I Know You?**

* * *

_"We were strangers starting out on our journey_  
_Never dreaming what we'd have to go through_  
_Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing_  
_At the beginning with you..."_

**Anastasia- At The Beginning**

* * *

**Sonny**

My name is Allison. Some people - Mom- call me Allie. I'm seven-years-old. Today, Mom's dragging me to Texas for the summer.

_The whole summer_!

"But, _Moooom_!" I moaned when she told me. "Why?"

"We're going to see family, Ali," she told me.

I didn't want to spend summer in boring old Texas! I wanted to stay in Wisconsin with Lucy, my best friend. Unfortunately, here we were, in the car, on the way to the airport, on our way to Texas.

_Texas_!

"Mom, how much longer is this gonna be?" I whined; we'd been on the plane for thirty minutes, and my legs were starting to become sore.

"It's a four hour flight, dear," Mom said patiently.

"It's WHAT?" I yelled, getting an annoyed look from the man beside me. I think I woke him up... oops.

"Four hours," Mom said calmly.

"So we're gonna be here for-"

"About another three and a half hours, dear." How was she so calm? I was going to die of boredom and leg cramps!

"Are you kidding me?" I asked. I must have said it a little too loudly because people were shooting me funny looks.

"No, I'm not. Now quiet down, Allie, you're causing a scene," she said, still calm. My mom's like that. She never yells or raises her voice. She's scary calm!

I resorted to just curling up. I watched the sky through the window, finding pictures in the clouds. I eventually fell asleep.

I woke up just a few minutes before the plane started going down. Ew! I hate plane landings! Why couldn't I stay asleep 'til the plane had already landed?

Mommy guided me through the busy airport. It was too busy. I didn't like it... I thought someone was gonna step on me!

We finally got in a car and began our drive. We were driving for what felt like ages, so I looked out the window. I needed to see where I'd spent my summer... ew.

_My whole summer_!

I was really tired. Texas isn't as cool as Wisconsin; it's all houses and desert. I haven't seen any parks or shops! We arrived at this house, and I'll admit, it was kinda pretty. There were tons of flowers, and I could even see butterflies. I hoped there were no bees, though. I hated getting stung!

I trudged alongside Mommy, continuing to take in my surroundings. We waited patiently as she pressed the doorbell. The door was opened by a slightly fat man with a mustache. He didn't scare me, though; he actually kinda looked like Santa.

"Allie, this is Uncle Trevor."

So this is who the fat man was.

"Come meet the others!" he said excitedly. He had a weird accent. Well, this should be fun...

Once we were inside, I noticed there were, like, five billion people. It seemed like that many, anyway! There were no kids, only adults! I was told all of their names, but they all looked alike. I got told all their names in, like, twenty seconds, so excuse me if I got them confused. The nicest of them all was this lady with blonde hair. She had a pink flower tucked behind her ear, and she wore an apron. I think her name was Auntie Daniela; everyone's names seemed to start with "uncle" or "auntie"! Despite my initial complains, I decided to keep quiet; they were giving me ice cream! The adults were loudly chatting, talking over each other. They kept randomly laughing, too!

At this point, I just wanted to go explore this place they called Houston, Texas! I trudged over to Mommy and immediately grabbed her hand. "Mommy," I whispered, now tugging her hand. "I wanna go to the park!"

She sweetly smiled at me, gently squeezing my hand. She said to me, "Maybe tomorrow, sweetie. It's nearly time for dinner, and you'll have to go to bed soon after that!"

I groaned, quietly staying by Mommy's side as the people seemed to crowd around me once more.

When I woke up, it took me ages to remember where I was. I then remembered:

_Houston, Texas_.

More so, I was in a bedroom that seemed to be covered with everything pink and yellow. It was nice, but not as nice as my purple and blue room back home! It was very bright, so I couldn't go back to sleep. I was going to get up and look for Mommy, but because I didn't know my way around the house to Mommy's room, so I waited until she came in for me.

"Mornin', sweetie!" she said, her voice a little too perky.

"Mom," I mumbled, looking over at her. "Can we go to the park today?" This was an important question, but there was something even more important... "And can I have pancakes for breakfast!"

"Yes, the park! _YES_!" I yelled, as Mom and Uncle Joe (I think it was Uncle Joe) walked outside with me. It was a sunny day, and I groaned as Mom pulled out a They laughed as Mom placed sunscreen on my squirming face, but I didn't care... We were going to the park!

Of course, what should have been a short trip turned into the longest one ever. Mom and Uncle Whoever kept stopping to talk to people, having the longest conversations. How was it possible to know everyone?! Mom kept introducing me to everyone, saying things like "This is my little girl!" I just smiled, hoping the conversations would end so I could get to where I wanted to be. Eventually we got there, and I nearly cried for joy.

It was perfect!

The park was huge, there were swings, slides, and those really cool course things that I always fall off of. I tried to run off, but Mom caught my arm and dragged me over to a park bench with her and Uncle. I don't under why she put more sunscreen on me, but she finally let me go so I could play.

I ran off happily, but got a little scared. There were tons of kids here, and I didn't know anyone. I saw that all the kids were at the top of the Spider Web, so I ran over to it. I climbed up, grinning as I got higher... but then I looked down. I was so high! I suddenly began to freak out.

"GET ME DOWN!" I shrieked, but failed to notice all of the people trying to help me. I quickly climbed down and fell to the ground. I was sitting below some monkey bars, but I knew better than to even try those. I sat by myself for a few minutes and failed to notice a boy above me.

"Hi!"

"_Ahh_!" I screamed, shocked by the face in front of me. A very happy boy was hanging upside down from the monkey bars.

"Did I scare ya?" he asked, continuing to hang there. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok, I think..." I said, trying not to be rude.

"No, really!" he said before jumping down. He neatly landed on his feet. My mouth immediately opened in envy. Why couldn't I do that?

"What's your name?" he asked, now standing in front of me.

"Allison," I said. Did I need to tell him more?

"Hm... Allison. All-ee-soooon," he said, sounding it out. Was my name weird? I suddenly got worried. "I bet people call ya Sonny right? 'Cause it's cool, and it's, like, short for Allison."

_Sonny_?

"People call me Allie, actually," I said truthfully.

"Hm, too bad. I like Sonny better!" Who _was_ this kid? "Mind if _I_ call you Sonny?"

"Can I know _your_ name first?" Seriously, who did he think he was? Mr. Awesome?

"I'm Chad. Chad Goldfarb. Nice to meet ya, Sonny!" he said cheekily, sticking his hand out to shake mine. I decided right then, I liked this boy.

"Nice to meet you as well, Chaddy," I said, shaking his hand. I suddenly felt more comfortable around this boy.

"That's good. Wanna play?" I nodded. Together, we ran towards the swings. We immediately began planning on how we were going to get this big kids away from there.

It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

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**That's chapter one! Thank you so much for reading.**

**Love, **

**Hannah xo**


	2. The Anti BoyGirl Thing

**Huge thanks to my beta, Polka Dot Jewel.**

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_"And our daddies used to joke about the two of us  
Growing up and falling in love  
And our mommas smiled, and rolled their eyes  
And said 'oh my, my, my...'"_

**Taylor Swift- Mary's Song (Oh My My My)**

* * *

**Three years later**

**Sonny**

In a few days, it will be Spring Break. I will be so happy to be away from this school! I do pretty well in all my classes, but I don't enjoy any of it. Lunch and going home are the best parts of my days at that institution.

"So, Allie," Lucy, my best friend, said. "What are you doing over spring break?"

"Well, I'm... um..." I stuttered, blushing. The truth was, my best friend from Texas, Chad was coming over here for the first time. Lucy and everyone else had very recently suddenly become very suspicious of the fact that Chad was... well, a _boy_. I didn't see what the problem was, but for some reason, I felt self-conscious mentioning him.

"Allie?"

I might as well tell her. Sure, everyone will embarrass me, but it's not like they won't find out anyway.

"Chad's coming," I told her. Her eyes went all big, but she started grinning. Why did I blush even more at her actions?

"Ohhh, the famous _Chad Goldfarb_ is coming!" I rolled my eyes.

"Lu, why do you always make him out to be such a big deal?" I desperately asked, trying to wipe the smirk off her face.

"Because, he's a _boy_," she said, making it sound like the most obvious thing. Why was the fact he was a boy such a big huge deal? There were plenty of guys in our class.

"Why is that such a big deal?"

"It just is, Al," she said, flapping her hands vaguely. I hated it when she called me Al. It was a nickname for my nickname – it didn't even make sense!

"Well... what are _you_ doing over the break?" I asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

"I'm flying to my Gran's for a few days," she began. I breathed a sigh of relief. "But I'll be back before the end of the break," she warned me, giving me the evil eye. Oh, _joy_. Chad and Lucy - _together_? This should be fun. I didn't say much else, and a group of girls we were friends with came over.

"Hey, Lu! Hey, Allie!" they said cheerfully.

"Guess what guys!" Lucy said excitedly. Oh no, Lucy. Please tell me you're not about to say what I think you're about to say?! _Pleeeeeeease_...

"_Chad_ _Goldfarb_ is coming to visit _Aaaaallieeee_!" she sang out. I shot her an evil look. Wonderful! Now they'd all be watching out for me and coming to my house constantly, just to meet Chad.

_Yay_...

Note my sarcasm.

Our friends immediately began squealing. They saying things like, "Oh, my Word! Really?"

"That's so cool!"

"Can we meet him Allie?"

"_Chad_!"

It was bizarre, really. Sure, I told them a few stories about our times together, but none of the _real_ exciting stuff, like when we'd carved our initials into the monkey bars, or when we'd climbed the trees, or when we'd snuck out of the museum and bought him a train ticket home.

"Guys! _Guys_! What's the big deal about Chad?" I honestly wanted to know the answer to this! Lucy had been useless in giving me a proper answer to such a question.

"You tell us so much about him, Al. He sounds really cool!"

Chad? Cool? He's a dork! I didn't say that out loud, though. If all my friends were going to mob him, I surely wasn't being mean to him.

"When's he arriving Allie?"

Oh, my gosh. Why was I surprised they were asking this question?

"...Tomorrow."

They all squealed and immediately began talking about what we were all going to do together. What have I done?

* * *

**Chad**

My name is Chad. I live in Texas! I hate school, but I have loads of friends so it's a'ight. My best friend, though, lives in Wisconsin. Her name is Sonny, and she is the best friend ever. I'm flying out to see her tomorrow! We're spending Spring Break in Wisconsin this year! This will be my first time there; I'm so excited.

"Hey, dude," I said to Ron, my best friend... in Texas. Sorry, Ron, when it comes to the _whole world_, Sonny wins.

"Hey! I have a question..."

I sighed. When did Ron _not_ have a question?

"What are you doing over Spring Break?"

How random, but I didn't think before saying, "I'm going to see Sonny!"

I got a weird look, one people give me when I mention Sonny. It's like I say 'Sonny!' and everyone looks at me as if to say, "Who? What?"

"So that's why you haven't been, like, '_Sonny's_ _coming_! _Sonny's coming_!' the past few weeks... I see!"

What? When did I ever say, "_Sonny's coming_!" Also, when did I start speaking a girly, high-pitched tone?

"When have I ever done that?"

"Every time Sonny comes here. You know, none of us have ever actually met her. People are starting to think she's your imaginary friend."

What? Sonny, my _imaginary_ friend?

"Let me get this straight: she spends about eight weeks here a year, and none of you have _ever_ seen her? How is that possible?" She was here Christmas, Spring Break, Summer, and Halloween - every year. How has no one _not_ seen her? My neighbors have even seen her! So have all of the adults that have kicked us out of almost every shop we walk into!

"No, man. You keep her all to yourself. We've never even seen a picture!"

Suddenly, some of the other guys walked over to us. One asked, "Picture of what?"

Please don't say Sonny, Ron. Not all of these guys are nice!

"Chad's Sonny" Wait. He said it like she was _mine_ rather than my best friend. For some reason, I went scarlet in the face.

"Oh, _her_. His imaginary friend?"

Okay, she's not imaginary! _Tell them that!_ I just got yelled at by my own head... _awkward_.

"She's not imaginary!" I snapped. They all shot me shocked looks. I _never_ got mad, but I was mad now.

"She's my best friend. She spends Christmas, Spring Break, Summer, and Halloween here. She's not imaginary!"

"The how come we've never seen her?"

"Hold on," I said through my teeth, then ran and picked up my bag. I ripped the zip open, and searched for the picture of us I had in there. Yeah, I had a picture of us. Mom gave it to me yesterday. I went back over to the group of confused group of guys.

"Here."

"You keep a picture in your bag?"

"Just look at it!"

It was a nice picture, too. It was of Sonny and I, just our heads and shoulders in the picture. We had our arms around each other's shoulders. My hair was sticking up and hers wasn't tied back for once. It was from last summer; I think we'd just been to the swimming pool.

"Is that proof enough for you?"

"Maybe. How do we know this isn't some random girl?"

"Why would I have a picture of me and some random girl in my bag?"

"Why do you have a picture of you and _her_ in your bag?" He had a point, but let's not tell him that.

I shrugged and said, "My Mom gave me it. Don't worry, though. I'm gonna be at Wisconsin all of Spring Break, so I'll get plenty of pictures."

"Yeah. Maybe then people will realize she's not imaginary!"

"Stop talking, Ronald."

"So, you'll get pictures?"

"Whatever it takes. Her mom takes thousands of pictures anyway."

I got more weird looks, but I just grinned and sat in my seat.

* * *

**The next day**

**Sonny**

I can't wait. The day has come - Chad will be here!

I slipped into a daydream, plotting about what we'd do when I got home from school. Where would we go first: the ice cream shop or the park?

"Miss Munroe? Miss Munroe!" My teacher's voice snapped me out of my daydream.

"Um... Yes, miss?" I said, embarrassed.

"You're mother just phoned. She's on her way to pick you up."

Pick me up? Huh?

"Pick me up... miss?"

"Apparently, she's bringing you to the airport."

Oh. My. Gosh.

I was going with her to get Chad!

"YES!"

I got some _very_ weird looks for that, but Lucy smirked at me. Oh, no, she'd guessed...

"Miss Munroe, please behave yourself properly in the classroom. May I ask why you're going to the airport? You're not leaving early for holidays are you? Your mother should have told the school..." she rambled on for a bit.

"No, miss, we're going to pick up my friend and... _his_ mom."

"Friend?"

"CHAD!" several girls, including Lucy, said.

I nodded, blushing like mad.

"Who's Chad?" Miss Henderson asked, laughing at them.

"Sonny's boyfriend!"

My blush only got worse.

"Boyfriend?" Her eyebrows went up.

"He's not my boyfriend! He's Chad! That would just be wrong!" That's the truth, and the reason people look at me weird. They think I like-_like_ him! Ew!

Lucy cracked up laughing. I glared at her, causing the whole class, including the teacher, to laugh. I just sat there in total humiliation, waiting for the class to eventually stop.

"You can go wait for your mother in the office, Allison," Miss Henderson said, still grinning.

I got out of there as fast as I could.

* * *

**Chad**

I was sitting on the plane, completely bored. How my Mom was asleep, I'll never know. How does Sonny manage this plane ride, what is it... eight times a year? She must really love her Texas holidays. I eventually fell asleep, but was woken up too quickly.

"Chad!" Mom said loudly. "The plane's landed, we're getting off in a little bit!"

Way to point out the obvious mother! Despite my cramped legs, I jumped with joy at the thought of freedom... and seeing Sonny!

"What time is it?" I asked her.

"Two-thirty," she replied, checking her watch.

_Aw_... Sonny will still be in school!

Soon, we were finally off the plane. I was looking for Auntie Connie when someone small with brown hair suddenly registered in my vision.

"CHAD!" the small something yelled before throwing herself at me.

I immediately returned the hug, but had to tell her, "Sonny! Whoa, I need to breathe!"

She released me, grinning.

"Did ya miss me?" I smirked.

"Just a little bit."

"Good!" I said, teasing her. She reached up and ruffled my hair, instantly messing it up.

"Aah! I hate you!" I said, clearly messing with her. I was a guy, why should I keep my hair neat?

"Love you too, Goldfarb," she said, smiling hugely and hugging me again.

We glanced over at our Mom's, who were happily chatting away. Sonny grabbed my hand and pulled me over to a set of chairs. We kept smiling at each other as we sat down.

"Ugh, finally!" she said. "I've been standing for the last thirty minutes!"

"Really, Son? I've been sitting for the last four hours!"

"Really, Chad? I make that plane journey at least six times a year. Stop whining!"

"Okay, you win," I said. "So, aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"Mom got me out so we could pick you up!" she said, grinning. _Lucky_... my mom has never done that for me!

"I should warn you, though," she said. She was suddenly serious, which didn't happen often with Sonny...

"What is it?"

"My friends all want to meet you. Apparently I talk about you too much," she said, her cheeks becoming pink.

Hm... She talked about me? I grinned and said, "Yeah, well, my friends all think you're my '_imaginary_' friend, so we need to get billions of pictures."

"How could I be imaginary? I spend like eight weeks at your house every year!"

"That's what I said!" This is how I know we're best friends – we think just alike!

"Okay, here's the deal: you put up with my crazy friends, and I'll let you take like a billion pictures of me." She let out a gasp and said, "Oh, I have an idea!"

"What?" I asked, knowing that some of her ideas weren't the greatest.

"Phone some of your friends one night so I can talk to them!"

That was actually a good idea!

"Oh, and I think my mom was recording us when you got to the gates, so you can always show them all our home videos... actually, not all of them. Check 'em before you show 'em. You don't want to show them an embarrassing video, like the one with us falling out of a tree," she said, babbling quickly, laughing at the memory.

"Yeah," I said. "So... let's start Spring Break, baby!"

She laughed, and high-fived me.

* * *

**Nine days later**

**Sonny**

Chad just left on the plane. The visit went by way too quickly, and now I have to wait 'til summer to see him.

During the break, Chad met, and easily put up with, my crazy friends. We took tons of pictures and properly _made_ videos for Chad's friends to see.

* * *

**Third Person**

Sonny's friends all met, and really liked, Chad. They all agreed on one thing though - they were practically a couple. They were the type of best friends who, because they were a boy and girl who'd known each other for years, held hands and hugged and acted like a little couple. They weren't though, because they were the best of friends.

Chad's friends watched the videos, saw the pictures, and eventually confirmed that Sonny was, indeed, a real person and _not _Chad's imaginary friend. This was a great relief for Chad, although he did get made fun of for how much he hugged his friend and held her hand. Chad shrugged it off, because he and Sonny knew the truth. Did it really matter what his friends thought? What her friends thought?

They were best friends and thought nothing would come between them.

Little did they know, their friendship would be one of the greatest tests of their lives...


	3. Childhood Stories!

**Hugs to my beta, Polka Dot Jewel! :)**

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_Taken back to the sidewalk where we met  
And carved out our names  
Do you remember that?_

**Hey Monday- Homecoming**

* * *

***Nine years old***

**Chad's POV**

Sonny's here! Whoo!

She laughed as I tightly hugged her. She said to me, "Let's go to the park."

After telling my Mom where we were going, we ran all the way to the park, trying to beat each other there. Sadly, we both got there at the exact same time, so it was a draw. We really _were_ best friends.

"Push me on the swings!" Sonny pleaded with me.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because... just... please!" She wasn't very good at arguing, but I gave in.

"Fine..."

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"Good! Now push!"

I pushed her for ages, then she was yelling, "LOOK HOW HIGH I CAN JUMP!" and launched herself off the swing. I could land fine, but could she? I ran over to her, she's landed quite far away.

"Sonny! Are you ok?"

"I'm fine!" she giggled.

Oh, phew. I thought she'd hurt herself!

"Let's go on the monkey bars!" I said

"No! You know I can't do monkey bars!"

"C'mon, I'll teach you!" I yelled, excited by this brilliant idea. I was a great teacher after all! I grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the metal bars. I showed her how to do it, just like I had two years ago when I'd first seen her sitting under there.

"Now you try!"

"NO!"

"Yes!"

"_No_!"

"No!"

"Yes! Aw, man!"

"Yes, now you have to do it!" I said, grinning. She just stood there, looking lost, so I gave her a boost up. She sat carefully, dangling her legs between the bars. I clambered up beside her.

"Easy, right?"

"Only when I get a boost up!" she said, poking me.

"Hey, I was helping you!"

"Yeah... well..." Suddenly, she looked down.

"Chad, how do we get down?" she asked. Was she scared?

"We just jump down. Easy."

"It's not easy!"

"Yes, it is. C'mon, Son, just like jumping off the swings!"

I jumped down to show her. Except, this time she refused to try it herself, and instead started to cry.

"Don't cry, Sonny!" I said, upset that I'd made her cry.

"But I'm stuck!" she said, freaked out.

"You'll be fine- jump, and I'll catch you!" I said, stretching my arms out, but she still looked scared. "C'mon, Sonny, Sonshine, Son," I tried to persuade her. "Jump! Don't you trust me?"

"Fine. But if you drop me, you're not my friend anymore!" she yelled at me.

"We'll see, Sonny," I said, grinning.

She closed her eyes and jumped. It wasn't really that high, so I managed to catch her. She held on for dear life.

"It's ok, Sonny! I got ya, see?" I sang, as her eyes flickered open. She sighed in relief, and I set her down.

"Thanks," she said shakily.

We sat and played pretend games for a while when I had an idea.

"Let's write our names!" I said. She gave me a strange look as I was in the process of picking up a sharp rock.

"What?" she was so confused, ha.

"Let's write our names on the monkey bars, with this rock. Then it can be our special place!" I bragged, proud of this idea. She agreed, and we got to work. It was harder than I'd thought it would be though, so we just ended up with our initials. It looked like this;

_AM_

_CG_

For the next five years, we came back to this place, and scratched the letters a little deeper. It became an important tradition, and we never forgot, and no one ever tried to argue, that it was, indeed, _our_ place.

* * *

_The day you slipped away  
__Was the day I found it won't be the same_

**Avril Lavigne- Slipped Away (I Miss You)**

* * *

***Twelve years old***

**Sonny**

Mom's been on the phone for thirty minutes now! When will she get off? She said I could call Chad tonight! I haven't talked to him properly in ages; we've had to go by letters and texts. And my credit ran out last week. Mom refuses to get me a top-up because I went through my last top-up way too quickly.

"Okay, bye," I heard Mom say. Finally! I raced into the living room, hand outstretched.

"Allie?" she asked. Whoa! Her eyes were all red and puffy. Had she been crying? My mom's one of the strongest people I know. I've never _ever_ seen her cry.

"Mommy?" It's been a while since I called her that, but it felt so natural doing so at that moment.

"You know... you know how Daddy was away with the army, fighting the war?" Yes. I was so proud of my Daddy. He'd told me, he was _fighting for our freedom_. It was so cool!

"Yeah...?"

"Well, I just got a call. I don't know how to tell you this, Allie," she said, a little catch in her voice. She started to cry again. I grabbed her hand.

"Mommy? What happened to Daddy?" I asked, frantic. I'd never seen her lose control that way. Her next words pierced my soul.

"He's dead, Allie,"

NO! WHY?

"But... but..." I stuttered, my eyes filling. She held her arms out, and I threw myself into them. I sobbed into her chest.

"Why, mommy? Why?"

* * *

_Later_

Mom was asleep on the couch. I checked the time: nine-thirty. It wasn't too late to call Chad, but I couldn't risk Mom overhearing.

I dialed the number carefully, carrying the portable phone to my bedroom and closing the door, listening to the ring. It seemed to take an eternity, and every ring echoed in my head. Finally, someone picked up.

"Hello?" Chad said.

"Hi..." I said, but my voice came out all wrong. There was a break in my voice.

"Sonny? What's wrong?" his voice was frantic. I could practically hear his grip on the phone tighten. I just sobbed.

"It's... it's my Daddy..." I cried, unable to get the words out.

"What happened, Sonshine?" The sound of his nickname for me comforted me somehow.

"He's dead..." I choked out before giving in to the sobs.

"It's ok Sonny. Shhh, shhh, it's alright," he said gently, trying to comfort me. After a while I stopped sobbing. I wiped my eyes, sniffling.

"Listen, I have a plan. Let's try this..."

We managed to get Chad out here for the funeral. His Mom couldn't come; she was sick. But somehow we managed to convince both our moms to let him come by himself.

Now, here he stood with me, holding my hand while I cried silently.

"Come here," he said, hugging me. I sobbed into his shoulder.

We sat side by side during the funeral. Everyone was in black. I could understand why this was the funeral colour. I never wanted to see bright colours again.

I went up to say a 'few words' as they say, though people always talk for ages. One look at my face, and Chad walked silently with me, standing beside me as I took the microphone.

"What can I say about my Dad?" I said softly, staring at their faces. "He was the Dest dad ever. Time after time, he took the stand. He died fighting the war for our freedom. I'm so, so proud of him, and I'll never be ashamed. He was supportive of everything I ever wanted to do. I loved him so much, and I hope, where he is now, when he sees me... that he knows I'll always be so proud. And I hope that when he looks at me, he'll be proud of me. I'll love you always, Daddy," I said, my voice breaking. Chad took my hand as we walked back to our seats.

They were taking pictures at the funeral. It seemed hideously inappropriate, like booing at a wedding. Someone dragged me along for a picture, and since Chad was still joined by the had, he got dragged along too. We stood silently, not posing, not smiling. Chad looked straight at the camera expressionlessly. I had tears pouring down my face. We must have looked bizarre; two kids, not even in their teens yet, Chad in a black suit, me in a black dress and a black flower in my hair. We both looked so sad. I didn't understand the point of these pictures; what were they, for me to mourn over?

It was time for Chad to get on the plane. Time for our plan to be put into action!

"I'll wait in the car," Mom said.

We nodded. As soon as she was out of sight, I pulled my own plane ticket out of my pocket.

"Let's go, Chaddy," I said, smiling slightly. Linking arms, we walked onto the Texas plane together.

We were just off the plane. Chad was collecting his bag, and I pulled my phone out and turned it on. I put it in my pocket, but pulled it out two seconds later. I looked at the caller ID.

Oh, crap. MOM!

I could see Chad coming back, and I waved frantically. He ran up to me.

We both stared at my phone apprehensively, in the middle of the airport in Houston, Texas, at a loss for what to do.

"Gonna get that?" he asked me. I smiled, and pressed the answer button with shaking fingers.

"ALLISON!" My mom screamed down the phone. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Don't worry, Mom, I'm fine. Don't know when I'm coming home. Soon?"

"ALLISON MUNROE, DON'T YOU DARE-"

I hung up.

"I answered it, didn't I?" I said to Chad's raised eyebrows.

We walked around the town for a bit, going to out favourite places, the park, buying ice cream, eventually we ran out of things to do. Now, to Chad's house, to explain to his mother why I was suddenly in Texas... This should be fun.

* * *

**Third Person**

Needless to say, Mrs Goldfarb flipped out. She called Sonny's mom, who wasn't happy either. Sonny got brought back to Wisconsin with Mrs Goldfarb (Chad was staying at home, grounded) and both parents gave both kids a long lecture.

It was one adventure they'd never forget; how they'd manage to sneak off to Texas together, instead of just Chad. It wasn't the last time they did it either.

Some people still made fun of them, but since neither had told of the really deep stuff, like the special place, where their names were written, or sleepovers, (though those stopped the summer after they both turned ten) they were just fine. To them, they had each other, and that was all that mattered.

They never dreamed that things would happen like they did, just after Sonny turned thirteen.


	4. Breaking of My Thirteen Year Old Heart

**EDIT, DECEMBER 2012: Or, the chapter where this fanfiction's plot grew legs and ran away from me. Oops.**

**Thanks to my beta, Polka Dot Jewel.**

* * *

_"We held the world up in our hands  
__And you ran away  
__It took some time to let you go  
__And it shows"_

**Paramore- All We Know (Is Falling)**

* * *

***summer of 2006***

**Sonny**

I've been in Texas for three weeks now. It's my birthday tomorrow; Chad's constantly making jokes about how much younger I am than him, and now I've caught up to him!

I love having my birthday's here. All the Munroe family is here, and 'cos Chad's been my best friend for six years, of course his family takes the excuse to celebrate as well. We both have big families - I have one Grandma, two Grandpas, three Uncles, four Aunts, five older cousins, and seven little cousins. Then there's Chad's _whole_ family - Aunts, three Uncles, seven older cousins, three little cousins, and two grandparents, and Chad himself, of course. Then there are our neighbours, and there are a lot of them! Over the years, Chad and I have gotten ourselves pretty well known, so they generally have something to say, too. I _guess_ you could say birthdays are pretty eventful here.

Well, my friends always want to have another party when I get home, and I'm usually pretty happy with the idea!

I heard my Mom answer the door before I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I grinned; I'd know those steps anywhere. I opened my door just as he was about to knock.

"It's open," I said, smiling innocently.

"Of course it was," Chad said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. I stuck my tongue out at him, causing him to grin.

"Whatcha doin', Munroe?" he asked.

"Oh, you know, sitting talking to Chad Goldfarb. The jerkiest guy in all of Texas," I said casually, turning and walking towards the couch in the corner of my room.

"Oh, now you're getting it!" I heard, and braced myself. Good thing I was facing the couch, because the next second I got shoved, face first into the cushions. Thank you Chad, at least you didn't shove me into a wall. This time, anyway.

"Thanks a ton, Chadward," I said sarcastically, spitting out pillow feathers.

"You're welcome, Sonface."

Oh, he did _not_!

I faked a smile. "Pull me up?" I asked, perfectly convincible, holding out my hand. He took my hand to pull me up, but I yanked him down.

He sat up, glaring at me. I glared back, but we couldn't keep our straight faces on for long. We were soon laughing, our glares quickly leaving our faces.

"So, whatcha wanna do today?" I asked, after we'd finally stopped laughing.

"Well... ice cream shop?" I nodded. Of course I wanted to go there!

"And," he continued. "I think we could do the monkey bars a little early this year? Seeing as it's on the last day you're here, we might not have time."

I frowned. He actually had a point. I said to him, "Sounds like a plan!" I grabbed his hand and pulled him with me as I ran out the door.

* * *

**Chad**

I checked my watch. It was nearly three o'clock, and Jenny - Sonny's aunt - had said we needed to be back before four. We needed to hurry if we wanted to get to the monkey bars in time!

"Sonny, hurry up!" I complained.

She sucked the straw of her milkshake, glaring at me.

I sighed and explained, "Son, we need to get back before four, its nearly three now, we have to walk past the shops and several other places to get to the park, so we'll probably take ages getting there, and we always take ages in the park anyway. So please, for my sake, please _hurry up_."

She took a swift sip of her 'shake before narrowing her eyes at me. "Since when did you care about getting back in time so much?"

Okay, normal question with embarrassing answer, but I was talking to Sonny here. I could trust her, just like I always had. I explained to her, "Honestly? You're Aunt Jenny scares me. She's like an angry version of you!"

She snorted, rolling her eyes as she finished her 'shake.

"Finally!" I muttered, throwing my glass down on the table. I threw a coin into the tip jar, and we left.

We finally arrived at the park. Sonny stopped and stared in the window of just about every shop - she's currently addicted to window shopping, which is unfortunate for me - and we kept having to hide from people to avoid conversation. We were finally at the park, though. Sonny shot me an alarmed look; there were tons of kids all over the monkey bars and near it.

This should be fun.

We unsuccessfully tried for about fifteen minutes to get the kids away. Luckily, the Dairy Queen Gal yelled something about a sale, and suddenly kids were mobbing their Moms, and they were all leaving rapidly. I glanced at Sonny as she suddenly began to cheer. Of course, I began to cheer with her. Some people shot us strange looks, but we didn't care.

As soon as everyone left, we immediately ran over to and crawled underneath the bars. I looked for the rock, which we had used to past two years- we'd found a special hiding place where we could just reach out and grab it when we were here. Obviously most kids didn't explore as much as us; it hadbeen sitting here for _two_ years. I carefully carved the small letters of my initials deeper into the bar. When I was done, Sonny took the rock and did the same.

Our eyes met, and we grinned. Suddenly, there was a crack of thunder. The heavens opened, and rain was suddenly pouring down. Within seconds we were soaked. Laughing, we crawled out from underneath the bars, and I helped her up, but didn't let go of her hand. It was really pouring down, and I checked my watch. It was five to four!

"Sonny, we need to go! We have _five_ minutes!"

She let out a little shriek, and together we ran home.

* * *

**Sonny's Birthday**

I got a text from Chad.

_From: Chaddy :)_

_To: Sonny :P_

_Come to the Singer House_ _:D_

I blinked. The Singer House was a fancy place, with a restaurant and party room. It had a big room, and a little room. The big room was mostly used for weddings.

I shrugged and made my way towards the establishment. When I got there, I noticed the lights were off. I turned them on and suddenly, everything was an explosion of colour and sound.

"SURPRISE!" everyone yelled. I looked around, and saw some of my Wisconsinite friends. They were brought here for my party?

"Oh, my gosh!" I yelled, typically speechless.

Chad suddenly popped up out of nowhere.

"C'mon, Sonny, let's party!" he said. Typical Chad. Any other guy wouldn't have been so loud. Chad didn't care how people looked at him.

"Yeah, lets," I said, slipping my hand into his. I heard someone let out a breath of air; people must have been holding their breath. I didn't always deal well with surprise.

But that's another story.

It was getting late, but no one was tired. It seemed everyone was moving on the dance floor, but I had sat down without anyone noticing. I let out a small sigh. I felt weird. I almost felt left out. Even though all my best friends were here, something seemed wrong.

Someone sat down opposite me.

"You okay, Sonshine?" Chad said, pushing my hair out of my face.

"Yeah... of course," I said. Even my voice sounded strange.

"Let's dance then," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me up. Suddenly, I could feel the beat of the music beneath the soles of my feet. It flowed through me, and as I danced with my best friend in the whole entire world, I felt truly happy.

Once that song came on, a quieter one began. I wrapped my arms around my best friend.

"You'll always be the best friend I ever had, Sonshine," he whispered. "I'll never forget you. Nothing could ever come between us..." I pulled away to look at him, surprised at his sudden emotion. But before I could get a good look, Lucy came up and grabbed my arm.

"Allie! I have to go now, but see you in a few days, yeah?" I pulled her in for a giant hug, and soon all my other Wisconsinites on for a group hug. I felt so alive, so loved.

Too bad the feeling wouldn't last...

* * *

Mom woke me up early the next morning. Nine o'clock! I was on holiday! What she told me woke me up a bit though.

"We're leaving in an hour, Allison. Finish your packing!"

"An HOUR?" I half shrieked, hiding my face under the covers. "Why?"

"Our flight... got moved forward. So up you get, hurry!" Could flights even _be _moved forward? Mom was acting strange. I knew Chad was probably still asleep - and probably would be for the next hour - so I didn't bother texting him.

Getting up, getting ready and packed took the next three quarters of an hour. As I hurriedly shoved toast into my mouth, staring at the clock, I realized with a sinking feeling I wasn't going to be able to see my best friend before I left.

_Hm_...

Chad had said that. When he'd been talking about the monkey bars, he said, "_Seeing as it's your last day here, we might not have time_."

Had this been what he meant?

Wait, if he knew we were leaving early, wouldn't he have told me? Confusion poured through my mind, probably brought on by tiredness.

I yawned as Mom yanked me out the door. I glanced up as we passed the Goldfarb's place, but there didn't seem to be anyone awake. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a sign up in their garden, but the car passed before I could see clearly.

Strange.

I didn't get to think of it again for a while, however, when we suddenly arrived at the busy Texas airport. We moved rapidly around; apparently we weren't going to be waiting around for long. Why hadn't Mom told me about this? Why hadn't Chad, for that matter? I had a sneaky suspicion he, too, had known. What was going on?

As the plane took off, my mind drifted back to last night. His earlier words suddenly intruded, taking a new meaning.

"_I'll never forget you. Nothing could ever come between us..._"

Why had he suddenly felt the need to speak out loud what I'd thought we both knew? Doubt and confusion took control of my mind, and the emotion in his eyes last night was the last thing on my mind before I fell asleep.

"Allie! Allison! Wake up, we've landed!" I felt someone shaking my shoulder.

_Mom_.

I opened my eyes. "Finally," I thought I heard her mutter.

I stood and walked sleepily, my thoughts clouded with sleep. A weird feeling went through me. I hadn't been this tired this morning, and there was no time difference between here and Texas so that couldn't be it. I was too tired to focus, really. When I got home, I sat down on the couch, and was out in seconds.

I woke the next morning when the post came through the door. Now fully awake, I skipped to the door to pick it up. I was in a brilliant mood for some reason. Nothing could bring me down!

Shifting through the mail, I saw some very familiar handwriting at the bottom of the pile.

_What the...?_

Why would _he_ be writing to me? I left yesterday for goodness sake! Maybe I hadn't seen him, but we'd spent hours dancing at my surprise party. Suddenly hesitant, I ripped the letter open.

_Dear Allison_,

(Allison? He NEVER calls me Allison...)

_I'm sure you're wondering why I'm writing, and why I called you Allison. Of course you are. You're always wondering._

(This was weird. This was very, very weird.)

_I'm sorry, Son. I'm moving away. I'm leaving Texas._

_I can't tell you were we're going, only that we - me, my mom and my sisters, that is - are making a new beginning. And I can't believe I'm saying this Allison, but I don't think I'll ever see you again._

_Ever._

_So I'm not going to call you Sonny. It'll make leaving too hard._

_But what I told you was true, Allison. You were – are – my best ever friend. No matter where I go, I'll never forget you. And I hope you'll n__ever forget me, even though you probably hate me right now._

_Goodbye, Allison. I love ya, kid. Forever._

_Love,_

_Chad Goldfarb_

I couldn't believe this. My head was screaming, thinking it was just some cruel joke, but my heart knew the truth. The page was marked with little splotches, like he'd been crying while he'd written. My own tears joined them on the paper.

Everything made sense now. The big party, leaving early, the sign, the _For Sale_ sign at their house. And I'd been too dumb to recognize the signs.

Suddenly, I was furious. Despite his plea, I couldn't do it. I was too mad, too broken beneath the anger. I was determined to rip Chad Goldfarb from my heart, so that it wouldn't matter that he wasn't there anymore. So that it didn't matter that he and his family had broken my heart without even saying goodbye.

I wasn't _Sonshine _anymore. I was Allison, to everyone. It was time to say goodbye to that.

* * *

**Third Person**

After people heard what happened to Sonny, they never mentioned Chad around her. Sonny would always be _Allison_. No more Texas holidays. No more Texas memories. Allison Munroe soon became the _funny _girl, instead of the _sunny _girl.

But Sonny never forgot him. Sure, she pretended she did, but she knew, secretly, that her mother still had every photo, video, and every little thing concerning the Texas boy and her. And deep inside, she didn't even hate him. She never mentioned him, but she grew to be her own person. She didn't need Chad; Lucy was her best friend. Wisconsin was her home, not Texas.

And why did it matter? After all, she wouldn't see him again... would she?

* * *

**Feelings may be left in the review box below :)**


	5. Until Now

**WARNING: Contains the author's first attempt at song-writing. 'UNTIL NOW' is a hope for eternity original.**

**Thanks to my beta, Polka Dot Jewel.**

* * *

_It just takes some time  
Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride  
Everything, everything will be alright  
Everything, everything will be just fine_

**Jimmy Eat World- The Middle**

* * *

**Nearly four years later**

**Allison**

I'm so excited! Tomorrow, I leave for _HOLLYWOOD_! I can't believe this is happening to me! I get to be on my favourite TV show, _So Random!_ I can't believe all this came from the videos me and Lu post online every week. The producer saw them and gave me a call!

_Oh, my gosh, I'm going to Hollywood_!

I looked around our apartment, and it's all empty now. All my boxes are packed; I finished packing yesterday. My glance fell on my song notebook, and I frowned. I'd woken up at four in the morning, and I couldn't get these words out of my head, so I'd had to write a song. It wasn't finished, but it was pretty near to it. No one, not even Lucy, knew I loved song writing. It was a secret thing I did to pour out my emotions. I hesitantly picked it up and flicked to my latest song.

_Until Now_

_I've packed my final box  
Said all my goodbyes  
I know I'll miss all of this  
But opportunities like this  
Only come once in a lifetime  
My flight leaves tomorrow morning  
And I can't help but wondering_

'_Cos until now  
You were outta my head  
But now I'm askin' myself  
Why did you leave without a real goodbye?  
Was it like this?  
A chance you couldn't miss?  
I guess I'll never know_

_Take a deep breath before I go  
And all my thoughts are free to flow_

That was where I'd run out of steam last night. To be fair, it was actually the second song, and I was _tired_. I picked up a pen, thinking, and scribbled down another line.

_Maybe you were right to let go_

Was that true? Was it right how he'd left? Suddenly feeling angry, I threw the book across the room. Despite what everyone thought, my heart hadn't healed, though it had been nearly four years. I was almost seventeen years old, and it was all still haunting my thoughts. Things were coming out in my dreams and my songs.

"Time to let go," I whispered, before picking up the notebook, tucking it away, and walking out the door.

"I'll see you when in a few days, Allison," my Mom told me firmly. "Remember, call me when you arrive."

I rolled my eyes. She'd been like this the whole journey to the airport, and now that I was boarding my plane, she still hadn't stopped.

"I'll be fine, Mom. I'm nearly seventeen, _and_ I've taken a plane without you before. Remember, when... after th-the funeral?"

My mom's eyes widened. In nearly four years, this was the first reference I'd made to those times. She pulled me in for a hug.

"Bye, sweetie," she murmured, before I let go and walked up the plane steps. I sighed.

I sat down in my seat. The only other person in my aisle was a business man, who was working intently on his laptop. I glanced around before pulling out my iPod out of my bag and turning it on. The loud, sudden rush of music was soothing as the plane took off. I didn't fall asleep, but I might as well have been. The music was an excellent way to block out my thoughts, so I turned it up as loud as I could without disturbing anyone.

* * *

After a few hours, the plane finally touched the ground again. I stood up and stretched my arms, feeling the relief in my legs as they stopped cramping. Hollywood, meet Son-_Allison Munroe_!

Marshall greeted me at the metal detectors. He was the producer at "_So Random!_" and he'd been the one to make the call that changed my boring life. He smiled and shook my hand.

"Allison, it's so good to meet you in person. How was your flight?" he said warmly. He was just as nice as he'd been on the phone. Well, he was nice, and a little nervous. He was a middle aged man, sorta plump, with a bald spot on top of his head. He reminded me a bit of my Uncle David, which made me smile.

"It's good to see you too, Mr Pike. My flight was fine, thank you. I can't wait to start at the show!" It was true. I was fairly confident; Marshall had promised to guide me through, and my Mom would be here in a few days. I didn't really have anything to worry _about_.

"That's good. Your Mom gave me the address of your apartment, so I'm going to take you there to make sure you don't get lost. Okay?"

"That's good. I don't have the best sense of direction!"

This made him laugh, as it was supposed to. I'm the funny girl. I feel more comfortable when I'm making other people laugh. And I'm going to work in comedy! It's a dream come true.

The drive to my new apartment was fairly quiet. There wasn't much to say, other than small talk, and I was pretty tired.

"Here we are, Allison. Your apartments on the second floor, and there's a number for you to call if you need anything." I nodded. "Someone from the studio will pick you up tomorrow, at about eight thirty. Is that okay?" I nodded again, and got out.

"See you tomorrow, and thanks," I said quietly.

"See you, Allison," he said, and then he drove off. I headed into my new apartment, suitcase in hand.

* * *

_Beep!_

I checked the clock. Man, these people were punctual; it was eight-thirty on the dot. I grabbed my bag and ran down the stairs. The car was waiting outside. I opened the door and got in. A nervous looking teenage guy was in the driver's seat.

"I- I'm Josh," he stuttered. "Marshall sent me to pick you up. I'm actually the mail room guy, but the chauffeur guy called in sick. I'll take you to your studio, and Marshall will take you from there."

Poor guy, I felt sympathy for him, but I was also grateful; he seemed nice, and it felt good to already see a friendly face here in this new place. He turned the radio on, and Taylor Swift was singing. I grinned; it was one of my favourites, Our Song. I relaxed as the country beats throbbed in the air. I ignored the desire to sing though. It was my first day at my new job, and I needed to make a good impression.

"This is the Prop House, the main hangout for the '_So Random!_' crew," Josh explained. I could tell he wanted to go; he kept glancing at his watch nervously.

"Okay, I can take it from here. Thank you, Josh," I said, smiling at him.

He shot me a grateful smile and then left. I heard footsteps, and turned around. I screamed.

"_Nico and Grady!_ _Oh my gosh_!" I ran up to them excitedly. They were the two guys off the show, my new castmates!

"Um... we know who _we_ are, and you... oh, you're Allison!" Nico said.

"That's me!" I said happily. "It's so good to meet you guys!"

"Nice to meet you too, Allison," Grady said, extending his hand shyly. I shook it, smiling, and then hugged him randomly. I released him, embarrassed.

"Sorry, I'm a hugger," I muttered, staring at the ground and biting my lip as I blushed scarlet.

"It's alright. Here at the show, we like to think of the cast as one big family," Nico said, smiling warmly. He extended his arms, and I hugged him too, feeling accepted.

"At least," he continued when I'd let go. "Most of us do..." the last part was under his breath, and I turned as I heard more footsteps. I saw a blonde girl about my age, and of course, I recognized her immediately.

"Tawni Hart!" I yelled, throwing my arms around her.

"Why am I being _touched_?" she exclaimed. I let go of her, grinning.

"Sorry, I'm a hugger," I said. I'd known she was a bit of a diva, so I wasn't thrown by her reaction.

"Well, obviously," another voice said. I screamed as I turned around. I hadn't heard her come in.

"Zora Lancaster," she introduced herself, sticking her hand out. I shook her hand and hugged her, of course.

Tawni looked at Nico and Grady. "Who _is_ this?" she asked rudely.

Before anyone could reply, Marshall rushed in. He looked frantic as he asked, "Has anyone seen the new girl, Allison?"

I stuck my arm in the air like a dork in school. "I'm here!" I said, pointing out the obvious.

"Great, so you've met everyone then. Tawni, you're the closest to Allison's age, why don't you show her around? You both need to be back for rehearsals at eleven," he announced, giving Tawni no room to argue, though she clearly wanted to, before rushing off.

"Why do _I _have to do it?" she whined. No one answered her, so she stalked off without checking I was following.

"So, Amelia," she said to me as we walked. Surprisingly, once we were out of the Prop House, she'd slowed down and walked beside me. "Where are you from?"

I grinned. "It's Allison, actually, but you can call me Allie!" I told her. "And I'm from West Appleton, Wisconsin." She nodded, then, shocking me slightly, let a large grin form across her face.

"Well... you'll do. Do you know Sonny, you're the first girl my age who's worked here? Of course, there was always Mandy, but she wasn't very nice, and we never really got along. So... I'll play nice."

Tawni Hart? Wasn't _she_ supposed to be the bad one? Maybe that's what Mandy had done to her, made her look bad? It was possible.

"Yeah... I'd like that," I said, beaming.

"Well, let's show you around then!" she said, linking her arm through mine.

"And... _this_ is the cafeteria. We have lunch here, obviously. It may not be nice food, but hey, it's something!"

This was the last stop in the tour. Tawni had shown me everywhere I needed, and some other places. I was promised I'd get the _full_ tour after the show on Friday. Tawni was really letting her guard down; she was a really nice person, it turned out. Shallow, critical, but super nice. It was a strange combination, but I thought we could be really good friends. As she led me over to the fro-yo machine, we were talking away. I found out that Nico and Grady were nice, a little weird, and unlucky with girls, and that Zora was just strange, period.

"Well, Allie, I'm going to my- _our_ dressing room to get ready for rehearsal. You coming?" Tawni asked me.

"No, I'll catch up with you in a few. I just need a couple of minutes to catch my breath, y'know?" I explained, hoping she wouldn't get annoyed. My prayers were answered.

"That's okay. See you in a few!"

With that, she rushed off. I smiled. So far, I was having a great day. I didn't actually get a fro-yo- I wasn't hungry, so I started to walk away. I wasn't really paying attention, and I wasn't looking, so of course I walked straight into someone. They were taller and bigger than me, so I fell straight to the ground.

As I sat there, feeling humiliated, a distantly familiar voice pierced through my thoughts.

"_Sonny?_"


	6. It's Not What You Think!

**AKA the shortest chapter in the history of ever.**

**Thank you to my beta, Polka Dot Jewel!**

* * *

Last time on DIKY...

_A distantly familiar voice pierced my thoughts._

"_Sonny?"_

* * *

"Sonny? OH MY GOSH!"

I looked up blinking furiously. I couldn't be sure, but was it-?

"_Vanessa Goldfarb_?_ What the he_-" I starting shrieking, immediately jumping to my feet. She put her hand over my mouth.

"Shhh, Sonny, _shhh_! Quietly!" she whisper-yelled, but I was past being shushed. I shoved her hand away from my mouth.

"Quiet? You want me to be _quiet?_ Oh, okay, I'll give you better, I'll give you _silence_! How does _four flipping years sound_?" I screamed, out of control. Okay, so I was maybe blowing things out of proportion, but this was supposed to be my new start, and she was bringing everything back!

"_Shush_! Look, Sonny, _Allison, _I understand you're upset, but if you'll just listen-"

I cut her off in fury. Adrenaline was pumping. I stared at the tall, blonde girl, with her green eyes. They're resemblance to him was a painful shock to my system. She was a few years older than us, but I'd grown up in the past few years.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! I DON'T WANT TO _HEAR _YOUR EXPLANATIONS!"

"Allie-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" And with that I ran out, hoping no one had heard, and blinking back tears.

I finally found my dressing room. I ran inside and slammed the door, leaning against it. Panting, I allowed myself to slide to the floor. I hugged my knees.

"Allison?" My new castmate and friend exclaimed in surprise. "Are... are you alright?" Tawni turned to me, shocked, her special lipstick- which I couldn't remember the name of- still in her hand. I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself.

"I... I'm fine," I said, not looking at her. I stared down at my knees, hoping she believed me.

No luck.

"What _happened_?"

I couldn't talk about it. Not yet! My whole system was going into shock, but I pushed the emotions out of the way.

"It was... nothing Tawni." I said, my voice steadier now. "Nothing you need to worry about, anyway..." I added under my breath.

Happily for me, she didn't hear me this time.

"Well... okay, then... we'd better get to rehearsal. I usually like to be fashionably late, but seeing as it's your first time, we'd better get going!" she smiled at me in a friendly way, and I was grateful. I was grateful for her friendship, her kindness, but most of all, for her _not_ pursuing the subject.

We got to rehearsal exactly on time. The others were already there, goofing around and looking at scripts. I put on a smile, and looked through my very first sketch for "_So Random!" - _ the Bad Bee Sketch.

Soon, I had put my shock meeting with Nessa Goldfarb to the back of my mind. I'd moan later. Now, I had a job to do.

The mailroom guy dropped me off at my apartment later that day. I couldn't make conversation. I was too busy holding myself together. I ran upstairs, slammed my door, locked it, and ran to my room. I threw myself onto the bed, and that's where I fell apart.


	7. Here Comes the Drama Snobs

**Thanks to my beta, Polka Dot Jewel.**

* * *

_"And how can I go on?  
'Cause when I'm in the sun  
I see your shadow on the ground  
But you're never there  
When I turn around..."_

**McFly- Down Goes Another One**

* * *

**Vanessa**

I can't believe it. The new member of that silly comedy show is _Sonny_?

This is unbelievable! My baby brother has spent nearly four years trying to get away from the memories and she's back! Oh, Chad doesn't _show_ it, but I've read his diary - ahem – his _journal_. I can tell that he still misses her, but I'm worried what meeting her again will do to him. If it's anything like what just happened... well, I don't know what will happen. I don't want to think about it! I can't tell him myself. I could see it in _her_ eyes, too. She doesn't know he's here. So this is the situation, processed by me, Vanessa Go- Cooper, twenty years old, and frantic:

Secretly heartbroken Chad Goldfarb plus an also heartbroken, ticked off Sonny Munroe, and we have a recipe for disaster on our hands.

Friends and family, beware!

* * *

**Sonny**

After letting all the confused emotions pour out of me, I was exhausted. Nevertheless, I got up and grabbed the phone. I'd promised Mom I'd call her, and if I went to sleep now, I wouldn't be up 'til tomorrow. I dialed her number, hoping she was up. I checked the time; it was eight o'clock here, so it would only be ten there.

"_Hello?"_

"Hi, Mom, it's Allie..."

"_Oh, hello sweetie! How was your first day? Tell me all about it,"_

I considered telling her about seeing Vanessa...

"Oh, it was okay, I guess. I met everyone in my cast. They're all really nice, even Tawni,"

"_I thought Tawni was the mean one?"_

"That's what I thought too, but surprisingly, she's actually the nicest of them all. Probably 'cause we're girls the same age..."

"_Oh, well that's good honey. How's the apartment?"_

"It's really nice, Mom. I'm lonely, though. You'll be here in two days, right?"

"_That's right, hon. Well, I'll see you then okay?"_

"Okay, bye Mom. See you Wednesday."

"_Bye, now._"

I felt better after talking to her. I may be nearly seventeen, but I still need my Mommy sometimes.

After that, I went to bed. I still hadn't really recovered from the time difference, which is why I managed to get up in the morning. Thankfully, I fell asleep quickly.

The next morning, the mailroom guy - Josh? - picked me up again. It was another quiet ride. The day was pretty boring, at least until lunch time. We all went to the cafeteria together. I didn't eat anything yesterday, so this was my first chance to eat Condor Studios food. Although, based on the rest of my casts' complaints, maybe that wasn't a bad thing. We were lining up together when I saw Vanessa walk past. I stiffened, but pretended not to see her.

"Something wrong, Allie?" Tawni asked, concerned. The rest of the cast gasped, but she ignored them. I shook my head silently, beyond speaking.

The lunch lady dumped the... whatever it was, on my plate with a loud _slop_ noise. I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"You actually eat this stuff _every_ day?" I said under my breath to Tawni as we walked to a table, which was apparently our usual spot. I was watching my food out of the corner of my eye; I swear, it was moving!

"Well, we try to," she said bluntly, as we sat down. My back was to the door. "But sometimes we give up and order pizza." I giggled quietly and all their expressions. We started to attempt eating, but we were all talking and laughing. Just then, I felt a cold wind, and Nico and Grady, who were sitting opposite me, Tawni and Zora, tensed up.

"Mack Falls at twelve o'clock!" Nico hissed.

Zora growled and Tawni shook her head. "Stupid drama snobs!" she mumbled.

I started to turn around, but they stopped me.

"Don't look, Allie. They'll notice you, and you _don't_ want that on your second day," Tawni said wisely.

"Who are... Mack Falls?" I asked. I never really watched drama shows (other than CSI) so I hadn't a clue.

"They're the _number one_ show in the studios, and they think they're better than everyone else, especially they're leader, Pooper."

I blinked a few times, then giggled.

"_Pooper_?" I asked, laughing helplessly.

"That's not his real name." Zora explained. "We just call him that because it suits him better than his real surname, Cooper, and he doesn't deserve a first name."

"What have they done that's so bad?" I asked.

"They're just all really, really stuck up, think they're better than everyone else and that everyone else should bow down and worship them!" Grady spat, more venom in his voice than I thought he was capable of.

There wasn't much conversation after that. We left without looking over at the 'Drama Snobs' corner once. I was proud of myself. Usually, I couldn't keep my nose out things!

We got back to the Prop House when Marshall came and told us we had the afternoon off, because he was going to see his 'Ma' (am I the only one who thinks it's really creepy how old he is and still wrapped around his mom's finger?) so I told them I was going home. They offered me a lift, but I said I'd be fine to get home. The problem was, it was only my second day here, and after two minutes I was a bit lost, and after ten minutes I was _completely _lost.

I was pretty sure I was completely out of the territory of peoples' sets now. I wandered around, wondering how I was going to get out of _this_ mess, when I saw a door. I could hear someone moving around.

_Bang!_

Or, more accurately, moving around and hitting things. Well, wasn't someone in a bad mood! I considered walking in before realizing it was a bad idea. I didn't know anyone here but my cast, Marshall, and one of the mailroom guys. It could be someone who could make my life here miserable, or someone who could get me fired, it could be Mr Condor! It could have been anyone! So, once again, I managed to keep my nose out.

Just then the lights went out.

I started to turn away, when I heard the door open.

"Who's that? Who are you?"

_Crap!_

I turned, but they were standing in darkness. All I could make out was that he was a tall, slim guy; I squeaked, and ran for dear life.

* * *

**Chad**

I opened the door of my secret place. No one else knows about here, so I sometime go here to think, and when my cast gets too much to bear. I suddenly saw someone standing there.

"Who's that? Who are you?"

Who was it? If anyone found out this place I'd lose the only place I could let my guard down in the studios. The small, slim figure turned toward me. It was dark in the hallway. The lights must have gone out; they do that here sometimes. I couldn't see very well, but I could see it was a girl, maybe about my age. I saw a pair of eyes, and something in me told me they were _brown,_ which was strange, considering it was too dark to determine any such thing.

She gave a small, terrified squeak, and suddenly bolted.

I was confused. Some memory in me stirred, and all I could do was wonder... and avoid the memories that came crashing around me with painful suddenness.

My chest felt tight. I took out my phone and sent a text to Skylar.

_I'm not feeling so good. I'm going home... Apologize to the director for me, would ya?_

That was weird. The CDC _never_ apologizes, but the girl in my memories had always made me be polite. Even now, when she was nothing but memories, she still had that effect on me. I felt suddenly sad, and weary. All I could think was, why was she back?

Why _now_?

* * *

**Sonny**

"Hey, Allison!" someone yelled. Seeing as the said person had barged straight through the front door of my apartment, I would guess it was my mother. I ran out into the living room and threw my arms around her, despite all the boxes she was holding.

"Hi, Mommy," I said happily. I'd missed her in these past few days more than I'd expected I would. It was strange, I'd been away from her for days at a time before, but only with-

And at that thought, all the burning events of the past two days caught up with me; seeing Vanessa, the memories and the person in the corridor... I broke down into tears in my Mother's arms.

Putting all her crap down, she shut the door, and pulled me over to the couch. She took my face in her hands.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she asked me, her blue eyes filled with concern. I couldn't speak; I was totally going to pieces.

"Is it your job? Is your cast nice? What's happened? Talk to me, sweetheart!" she exclaimed, hugging me.

I shook my head. "It's not- it's not my job," I managed to choke out. I tried to swallow back the tears, unsuccessfully.

"Then what is it?"

I pulled my emotion back in, trying to gain some control. After I'd got enough composure to at least stop the sobs (though the tears were still flowing freely) I told her the only thing I could.

"I saw- I saw Van- Vanessa," I stuttered out, staring down at my lap. I heard a small intake of breath, and glanced at her. She was sitting very still, apparently lost in thought. She looked at me suddenly.

"Vanessa _Goldfarb_?" she clarified. I nodded shakily.

"How did you react?" she asked.

Ah. Way to ask a difficult question mother! In all honesty, I was a little ashamed of my reaction now, but I'd been in shock.

"I- I screamed at her and she tried to explain something to me so I told her to leave me alone and ran away..." I mumbled like a little child, like I was seven-years-old again.

The sobs ripped out again.

"Allie, I understand, but you know that was maybe not the best way to react?" she asked, a little tentatively. I nodded and shrugged at the same time.

"I don't know why. I actually bumped into her and fell on the ground, and then she was like _Sonny_?" I said quietly, cringing at the nickname I'd disowned four years previously.

She nodded understandingly.

"Is that... was she the only Goldfarb you saw?" She asked gently.

I breathed in sharply at the very thought of seeing anyone else. I'd been pretty close to all of them, but I wasn't as close to Nessa as the rest. I flinched at the thought of seeing the others, but I managed a nod in answer to Mom's question.

I sat quietly, lost in thought.

"Mom?" I asked after what felt like hours.

"Yeah, Allie?"

"Did you... do you have... the box with all... the stuff in it? The stuff I tried to throw away?"

She flinched. She hadn't known that _I'd_ known she'd kept that stuff, but one thing about my mom, she's almost always honest with me.

"Yes," she said, not looking at me.

"Yeah, just wondering. I'm going to bed now, you know, I've got work tomorrow..."

"Alright... you need the car tomorrow, right?"

"Yep. I will until I get my own. I don't like having to be picked up." She nodded again, and I escaped to my bedroom.

I went to bed, but try as I might, I couldn't sleep. When I was sure my mom was asleep, I ran out and found the box already tucked in the closet. I pulled out the photo album that was top of the pile.

_Chad and Sonny- 2002 – 2003_

I smiled and opened it.

I touched a picture of the two of us asleep on the couch. I smiled as I slipped into flashback...

_Hm... what? Where am I? Last thing I remember is watching a movie at Chad's! What am I lying on?_

And I'd opened my eyes to see that I was snuggled up with my - then - best friend in the entire world. I swiftly flicked through the pages, sometimes smiling, sometimes crying, but I was looking at these for the first time in nearly four years. My breathing got rough as for the first time in so long; I let the memories flow rather than pushing them away. I smiled as the tears fell, it didn't make any sense but I was fine. It wasn't until I reached a certain picture that I really started to cry.

A picture of the two of us, both with tears in our eyes, me in a black dress, him in a suit.

The picture from my fathers' funeral. I started to sob, but then I was afraid I would wake my mother, so I quieted to a gentle keening so that I wouldn't wake her.

The pain stabbed through my chest suddenly; missing my daddy, missing _him_. Tears still flowing, I gently pulled the picture out from the frame and tucked it in my pocket.

I sorted through the piles, but didn't open anything else until I found a sheet of paper folded at the very bottom of the box. I pulled it out, curious, and unfolded it. When I saw what it was, whatever smile had been on my face disappeared. It was the letter. Sliding the box back into the closet, I carried the photo album to my room. I put it into my bag for work, then slid the funeral picture out of my pocket, and held it over my heart, crying all over again.

* * *

**Chad**

After seeing that girl yesterday, I was reminded of _her_. I found an old photo in one of my mom's drawers. I'm pretty sure she has all the stuff hidden somewhere, but _where_ exactly is beyond me.

Nothing broke my heart more than leaving her. Hey, never in a million years would I admit it - especially not to Vanessa, no matter how many times she told me so – but I still avoided talking about her.

However, after finding that photo, I smiled. It was the same photo from all those years ago, which I'd flung in my friends faces to prove _she_ wasn't imaginary. We were only about nine in the picture, arms around each other's shoulders. I couldn't bear to risk taking it into work like I'd wanted to so instead, I took a photo of the photo, and put it as the background of my phone. No one ever took this phone. This was my phone for 'uncool people' as I'd told people. It was actually the phone I used for my family, and people from Texas, so it was unlikely anyone would see the photo of the photo right?

Or so I'd thought.

During my break, I didn't feel like going to lunch and getting annoyed by the Random's, so I was just sitting in my favourite seat onset, staring at the picture on my phone.

My director suddenly came up behind me. "Chad? Why do you have pictures of little kids on my phone? Who are they?" she asked me.

Thank goodness I had the ability to think fast in situations such as this. "They're my little cousins. They stole my phone and set the picture themselves. And 'cause it's my phone I never actually answer, I didn't bother to change it."

"What are their names? They're real cuties." She said, smiling at the pictures. I tried not to blush. That was my inner Goldfarb showing. The CDC does not blush. Chaddy Goldfarb had a humiliating tendency to do so.

"They're... ah, um Brad and... Allisa." I mumbled._ Real original, Chad_.

"Aww, they're so sweet! They seem close." she observed.

"They... they are..." I said quietly.

Well... we _were_, before my job came along and ruined it all.

* * *

**Sonny**

During our break, I was sitting in my dressing room. Tawni wasn't around, so I pulled the old photo out of my pocket. I smiled, feeling the littlest memories stir.

"Allie? What are you doing?" Tawni came crashing through the door.

"Oh, nothin'," I said, trying to hide the photo, but it was too late.

"Who's that in the photo, Allie?" She asked, curious. I slid it into my pocket, sighing.

"It's no one, Tawn. No one at all."

* * *

**EDIT, DECEMBER 2012: Two chapters become one, as old readers may have noticed. New readers; ignore me, continue on :)**


	8. Finding Out

**Nearing 100 reviews! :)**

**Thanks to my beta, Polka Dot Jewel.**

* * *

_"I messed it up and now I don't know what to do  
We ran in circles and wasted time  
From right to wrong  
From right to wrong..."_

**Aly & AJ- Collapsed**

* * *

**Chad**

Today, Portlyn told us some surprising news. Rather, told _me_ some news. Apparently, everyone else knew and I was only catching up. Well, excuse me for mourning over my ex-best friend, and not to mention wondering about my sister Vanessa's bizarre behaviour recently.

I think she's hiding something...

Oh, yeah, _the news_.

Apparently, "_So Random!_" has a new cast member. Should we be worried? My show_ is_ the number one Tween show. Strangely enough, all of my cast – including Katrina, the director – seemed really frantic.

"She's super nice, and has a lot of charisma," Portlyn told me. Ever since Hollywood (and losing _her_), I hadn't really done much in the way of trying hard in school.

"What's charisma?"

Marta rolled her eyes at me. "It just means everyone seems to like her! And it's true! All her cast members love her, and so does her director, and as soon as she does her first show, Katrina is sure she's going to become mega popular. And that's coming from Katrina!"

I felt shock cross my face, but I covered it up and put on an arrogant face. With both arrogance and reassurance, I said, "What's it got to do with me? Even with a new little starlet, they won't catch up to _us_. We're better."

For once, she didn't smile flirtatiously at me – that made me real happy – maybe she's moved on? She ended up surprising me with her reaction, though. She shoved my shoulder and exclaimed, "You're such a stuck up _idiot_, Chad!"

"Portlyn-"

"Oh, take your ego somewhere else!" she screamed, and stormed off, slamming the door. Great, there goes my ego, ruining something else that could've been.

* * *

**Sonny**

Surprisingly, I was fine at rehearsals the next day. When I went home the next day, I spent my free time looking over my lines quietly, and then drifted into cold silence. I'd become pretty good friends with my entire cast already, especially Tawni. She was a little snobby, sure, but she was actually a really nice girl. We got along well; she made fun of my clothes, but I didn't let her bring me down. Instead, I pointed out her obsession with herself, and she accepted it.

We were good.

Ironically, despite how sad I was feeling, I managed to act so perky and because of that, Marshall congratulated me on my '_enthusiasm_' and '_hard work_'.I pasted on a smile then laughed as I walked away with my cast to lunch. It was a buffet today for So Random, but it was a choice of the usual ick.

_Ew_.

I was really going to have to ask my mom to pack me lunch tomorrow.

I wrinkled my nose at the nasty smell radiating from the brownish-greenish stuff in the middle of the plate. I looked up, and saw something that took my mind off of the crap on my plate. I went white.

"Who's _that_?" I said in shock, staring at the poster. Tawni followed my gaze. Her face hardened as she saw the huge Mackenzie Falls poster.

"Do you mean the poster, or the face on it?" she asked bitterly.

"The face on it..." I said stupidly.

"Oh. _Him_." She snapped like it sounded dirty. "That's the Mackenzie Falls pack leader, Chad."

I stared at the blue poster, through it, to the features on the face. The facial expression wasn't one I'd ever seen, but I could see the same face I'd seen so often over five years. It had been nearly four years, but even though the poster wasn't really coloured enough, I could still see the exact blue of his eyes, the little lines that would be more pronounced when he laughed or smiled. I stared at it, shock spinning through me and pinning me to the floor.

Chad.

_My_ Chad.

"Chad who?" I said through numb lips. There were a few things I needed to know, but I was nearly one hundred percent sure.

"Chad Dylan Cooper. Why? Please, _please_ tell me you aren't a crazy fan girl and have a crush on him..." she begged.

This startled me. Chad? _My_ Chad? He had crazy fan girls? Well, I'd given him those first...

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_Mom had insisted I go to school the next day, even though it was the last day. Of course he was coming with me._

"_Hey, Miss Henderson," I said quietly to her when I got to the door. "I brought someone with me. Is it okay if he comes in and stays in the class, just for today?" I give her a sweet smile._

_She grinned. "Of course, Allie," I said._

_I saw Lucy and the rest of the girls look up and stare at the door hungrily. I smirked. Chad better be prepared._

_I walked out into the hallway, and grabbed his arm. "She said okay," I whispered. He grinned, and slipped his hand into mine and dragged us into the classroom. I couldn't help but laugh at him._

_Everyone stopped and stared at us. Me, Allie Munroe, usually kinda quiet but nice, suddenly laughing and grinning, hand in hand with a blonde guy who was a little older than the rest of us. Lucy and the other girls broke the silence._

"_Chad!" they all yelled, immediately standing up and running towards us._

"_Duck!" I whispered, letting go of his hand and dodging._

* * *

I grinned at the memory.

"ALLIE!" Tawni snapped in my ear. "Oh, gosh, you do fancy him don't you?"

"What? No... I was just... remembering something." I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. "No, I've never even seen that show. I just... recognized him from somewhere." I assured her, and she sighed in relief.

"Oh, that's good. I thought you must have known him before he was famous or something," she laughed, and I tensed up. "Ridiculous, right?" Tawni grinned at me.

I forced myself to relax.

"Yeah," I mumbled. "Ridiculous..."

* * *

**Chad**

"Okay, that's a wrap! Great scene, guys," Katrina told us. We all grinned, and walked together to lunch. I saw the group of people standing at the buffet and groaned internally.

_Great_. The Random's were already here.

They had their backs to me. I saw the little weird one, Zora, Grady and Nico, otherwise known as Dora, Cloudy, and Rainy. I also saw Tawni – I mean, Blondie, standing with another girl with long brown hair.

Ah, this must be their little '_popular_' newbie.

She didn't look anything much. I saw her turn to Tawni, and she looked up at the Mack Falls poster, and grinned. Newbie must be a Mack Falls fan. That in itself would turn her cast against her.

The two girls turned and walked towards their table. I then saw newbie's face.

She was looking at the ground, but the one second I'd seen her face was enough. Brown eyes. The same brown eyes that had looked at me and laughed so many times. The face that had haunted my memories for so many years.

"Is that _her?_" I said to Skylar, jerking my head toward the Random, not having enough courage to look properly.

"Yeah, that's her," he said boredly.

I glanced back at her. I saw her face for another second. My mouth went dry.

"What's her name?" I whispered. Skylar shot me a strange look, as did the rest of my cast. They answered though.

"Oh, Allison. Allison Munroe," Chasity informed me lightly.

I went completely white and started shaking. Allison. Allison.

_Sonny_.

My little Sonny. My best friend.

I think I'm going to throw up.

"Chad? Are you alright?" Chasity asked, grabbing my arm. Without thinking, I shook her off, not quite seeing the hurt in her eyes.

"I... I gotta go. I'll... see you all at rehearsal," I managed to stutter out, and then I fled.

I can't believe this. After all this time... she's _back_.

I ran to my secret room. I slumped down on the couch there, shaking violently. The nausea hadn't passed. The girl who'd been my best friend, who I'd loved and trusted more than anyone else in the world, was back. My head whirled with thoughts.

I'd hurt her, I knew that. I'd left her with nothing but some – at the time, to her – strange words... telling her how much she meant to me. All she'd had was a letter. It didn't explain much, but really, it was more that I was supposed to put. I'd cried over her memory. Now she was back. I'd probably see her every day.

Deep inside of me, instead of sickness and fear, I felt _happy_. Maybe we wouldn't be best friends – too bad she probably didn't remember me – but I could see her every day. I could find out how she was, and what she was like. How different was she from she was when she was thirteen? She was nearly seventeen now. Heck, her seventeenth would be the anniversary of the last time I'd spoken to her. My heart ached.

Sonny.

_My_ Sonny.

* * *

**Sonny**

"Drama snobs!" Zora informed us, and I turned, my heart in my mouth, both scared and hoping to see Chad.

_My_ Chad.

Four years later, and despite everything, he was still _mine_. How pathetic. He probably didn't even remember me!

So, I was both sad and relieved when I didn't see him. The dramas were giving me strange looks though, looks that wondered what I was thinking about.

Hm. Weird. Did I have something in my teeth?

I looked down at my plate. There was nothing worth eating here. I stood up and said, "I'll see y'all at rehearsal, okay?"

My friends nodded, smiling. I'd already earned their trust and friendship, somehow. I mumbled an apology and walked out of there, quick and stiff.

Of course, I got lost. I found myself in that corridor again. I vaguely remembered the look of the place, and I was pretty sure this was it. I was about to turn around to leave, when I heard a soft sob from behind that same door. I hesitated. The person in there was upset obviously. I ignored my better judgment and barged straight in.

"Hello? Who's in here... and are you all right?" I sounded pathetic. I was more nervous instead of comforting. I looked up when I heard a sharp intake of breath.

I saw a comfy, old looking couch. More important was the person sitting on it, who was staring at me in shock. A blonde haired, blue eyed person.

Our eyes met. Brown to blue.

We both yelled out at the same time:

"_Chad_?"

"_Sonny?"_


	9. Reactions

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. This is the necessary painful chapter. UM.**

**Thanks to my beta, Polka Dot Jewel! :)**

* * *

"_I have made you an enemy  
I have been my own enemy  
I am asking you to forgive me  
For everything..."_

**Flyleaf- Enemy**

* * *

**Sonny**

Suddenly, Chad was on his feet, and I was moving like lightning across the room. I have never moved just as fast as I did that day, to throw myself into the arms of my best friend. Suddenly, he was hugging me, and lifting me and spinning me around. He hadn't been strong enough to do that last time we met.

"CHAD!" I yelled in elation, clinging to him.

"Allison. _Sonny_!" he yelled back, and he set me back on my feet, and we clung to each other.

I could smell him, this distinct, Texas, _Chad_ smell. It was a little clouded with cologne. A small smile came across my face. He'd grown up; we both had. Then nearly four years of flashback intruded with agonizing pain and heartbreak. I pulled away from him sharply.

He looked at me, and I whacked him on the shoulder. It wasn't a soft hit, either. He let go of me, and touched the shoulder.

"Ouch! What was _that _for?" he said, shocked.

I ignored him and yelled, "Explain. NOW!"

"What?"

How the heck could he be so stupid? I hit his other arm and explained, "Oh, let's see! How about _four years ago_!"

"Three and a half..." he mumbled, rubbing his arm.

I was so ticked off! Four – sorry, _three and a half_ – years of frustration and confusion were pouring out of me.

"_Whatever_! You were my BEST friend, Chad! One day you were there, telling me just how much I _meant_ to you!" I spat, gritting my teeth. "The next day, you were GONE. Do you even realize the last time we spoke was my THIRTEENTH BIRTHDAY?" I screamed in his face.

I couldn't help myself. The Goldfarb family (nearly all of them) – sorry _Coopers_ (apparently) – brought out the strongest emotions in me, and right now, my hurt was stronger than my joy.

His eyes dropped to the floor. He looked hurt, and ashamed... then mad.

"_Allison_! Do you think I _wanted_ to leave? Do you know what I've _felt_ like the past years! I have _missed_ you, _every single day_!" he yelled back. That was the funny thing about him, he always, always seemed to fight back.

_Always_.

"If you _missed_ me so much," I hissed, dropping my voice low, but still fury-filled. "Then why didn't you bother yourself to _call_ or get into _contact_ if you really _cared_?" I retaliated.

We were both furious, glaring into each other's faces. It was so, so... _wrong_. We'd once been the closest friends in the world, tighter than twins, lives completely intertwined, inextricably twisted together, and in one short letter, and three and a half long years, and torn and ripped us apart.

I was first to break. My breath caught in my throat as a sob, and I turned away from him, ashamed to cry in front of him. His soft, warm hand touched my shoulder.

"Sonny...?"

"I'm sorry, Chad, but I don't think we can go back," I said coldly, not turning back towards him. I shrugged out from underneath his grip and walked out, slamming the door after myself.

Thank gosh I was such a good actress.

* * *

**Chad**

The brunette stared at me, fire in her eyes. I watched through a thin veil of fury as she pulled in a breath to start another attack.

"_If you __missed __me so much_," Sonny said furiously; it was so much worse than the yelling. "_Then why didn't you bother yourself to call or get into contact_?" she said, suddenly back to shrieking. "_If you really __cared_?"

We stared each other down, then her eyes filled with tears, and she turned her back to me in disgust. Guilt welled up, as well as tears in my eyes. I felt sick again. I reached out to put my hand on her shoulder, like I'd done so many times before.

"Sonny...?"

She held still then practically flinched away from me as she spoke, without even looking at me.

"_I'm sorry, Chad_."

About _what_? It was my entire fault. Everything...

"_But I don't think we can go back_."

She was still refusing to turn around, but her voice was stone cold. And with it, she broke my heart all over again. I was unable to move as she stormed out, slamming the door, and leaving me in the dust.

* * *

**Tawni**

Allison came storming into our dressing room. She looked upset, _again_. Why is it every time we let her run off she comes back near tears? What keeps happening?

I'll admit it, I like this girl. She's _way_ nicer than Mandy ever was. There's something about her... she just seems to draw people in. I'm starting to realize there's something else as well, some secret pain that's messing her up. Heck, I've only known her a few days, yet I, Tawni Hart, care this much! That says a lot about her...

Anyway, she came in white-faced, looking like she'd just lost her best friend.

It was up to me to find out what was wrong, and to, well... help her!

"Allie? What's wrong?" I asked, watching her ashen face in the mirror. Just like last time, she slid to the floor, and hugged her knees. I spun around in my chair to face her.

"What happed?" I demanded. There were tears in her eyes, and was biting her lip, to keep from crying obviously.

She shook her head at me, beyond words. I got up and walked towards her. I sat down beside her – on the floor! – and put my arm around her. That seemed to relax her a bit.

"I just... met... Chad Dylan... _Cooper_!" she sobbed into my shoulder.

I was furious. What the heck did he think he was _at _messing with out Allison!

I got to my feet.

"_What did he do_?" I demanded. She just sobbed some more. "I'm going to _kill_ that boy!" I yelled, and she flinched.

I sat down beside her again, softening. Okay, I could tell she didn't actually want me to inflict bodily harm on Pooper.

"What did he do, honey?" I asked softly, sitting down beside her again.

"It wasn't so much... him... but he just... re-reminded me of someone I knew!" She managed, stuttering and hiccupping miserably. She suddenly stiffened, glancing at the mirror.

"What?" I asked, confused. She glanced back at me, the tension going out of her body again.

"As soon as I started talking to him, I realized he was a _jerk_!" she spat, glancing up quickly, then back at my face. Tears were still pouring down her face.

I nodded at her to continue. She did, getting louder, I might add.

"But, he lost _any_ resemblance to the boy I _used _to know!" She growled, putting emphasis in strange places. She looked up at the mirror one more time, and her pretty face twisted.

"Yeah, Cooper, or whatever your name is! _Get out_!" she yelled, looking at my mirror.

Worried by her behaviour, I looked in the mirror also, and saw the back of Chad's figure in the reflection, as he turned and walked away. I realized suddenly that she must've seen him reflected there a couple of minutes ago, and that was her way of letting him know exactly what she thought of him. I patted her back, then got up and slammed the door, ready to congratulate her. She was clever, I had to say; not many people would scream at a reflection.

But when I turned back around, she was sobbing again, like she'd just broken her own heart. She put her face in her hands.

"What have I _done_..." she sobbed. "Oh, what have I _done?"_

* * *

**Chad**

Her eyes met mine, reflected in Blondie's mirror.

"_Yeah, Cooper, or whatever your name is_!" I flinched. She must be wondering at the change... "_Get out_!"

What had happened to us? I'd messed her up so darn badly, she couldn't even look at my face... she yelled at my reflection. I felt Tawni's eyes burning a hole in my leather jacket, but I held out until I got to my dressing room. I sat down hard, wondering when we'd changed so much that we couldn't see each other without losing control.


	10. Avoiding, Avoided, and Tawni

**Author trivia; I _love_ Tawni as a character. I thought she had a lot of opportunity for growth (as a character) on the show, and I was disappointed because I felt we never really got to explore her fully as a character. I tend to try and explore that myself.**

**Many thanks to my awesome beta, Polka Dot Jewel.**

* * *

_"I feel your eyes crawling over me  
As though I am something more than me  
But I don't have anything good enough to say  
I did not make myself this way,"_

**Flyleaf- Penholder**

* * *

**Sonny**

I've been here for a week now on "_So Random!_" I act perky and happy, but as soon as I'm alone, I'm either cold or quiet. Sometimes I'm writing songs, but only words. I can't think of any tunes.

I've seen _him_ a few times around the studios, and he's avoiding me just as much as I'm avoiding him. I can't lie, and I still know him inside and out; I can tell he's hurt.

So?

Should I _care_?

He hurt me for nearly four years! Now I've seen him again, he's hurting me all over again. I miss him, but whenever I see his face, the anger comes and out does the sadness and the longing. The problem is his stupid face is _everywhere_! Apparently he's a huge star. Darn you, Chad! Darn you for being your amazing, irresistible self...

I shook my head to get him out of my mind (again). We were doing our dress rehearsal; tonight was my first show. I didn't do a show last week as I was new. So tonight they're introducing me, I'll do my first sketch, blah de blah. I'll admit, seeing _him_ has taken the fun out of it a bit, but whenever I really get in to it, it's definitely as fun and hard and awesome as working in comedy should be!

Soon, it was five minutes before show time. Where had the time gone? No, I mean seriously, it seems like break was five minutes ago, when it was, in fact, several hours ago. _Aargh_! I need to go stick my head out of a window or something. I needed to cool down, like now!

"And to close tonight's show, Sonny Munroe!" The announcer yelled.

My cheeks flushed as the crowd cheered. My breathing got faster, but I pushed away the stage fright and ran onstage. I tapped my mic to make sure it was on, and the audience laughed as the feedback blasted through the speakers.

Yep, definitely working...

"Hey everybody!" I yelled, swirling around in the outfit my mom had bought me for the special occasion and trying not to trip in my heels, unsuccessfully. Thankfully, the just thought I was doing it deliberately...

"It's so good to be here!" I shouted. They yelled in agreement.

"It's funny to think, less than two weeks ago, I was just sitting in Wisconsin like a regular teen, and now I'm standing onstage talking to a live audience, and not just any stage, the very stage that I've watched my new cast perform on for the last few years!"

I heard Tawni mumble "thanks" behind me.

"But most of all, I want to thank you, the audience, for being so amazing during my first show! Thanks a lot guys!"

The whole audience cheered, and some guy in the back was so loud I could hear exactly what he said, "_Go Sonny!"_

I just grinned, not noticing Tawni stiffen, not noticing the name that had been yelled.

"Goodnight everyone!" I said one last time.

The audience screamed and yelled as we danced off.

We all crashed into the sofa in the Prop House. Evidently, I wasn't the only one who'd found the show exhausting.

"Is it usually this tiring?" I gasped, yanking my mic off and fanning myself.

"Pretty much," Nico said. Grady nodded, but Tawni rolled her eyes.

"It's only exhausting if you have to put effort in!" she declared. "But, as I'm so talented, and pretty, it wasn't tiring at all!" she chirped, overly perky.

Zora groaned and threw a pillow at her.

"Hey!"

They immediately started squabbling, and the rest of us got up.

"Pizza night!" Grady yelled blissfully, show stress forgotten. Nico nodded, and they started gushing enthusiastically about toppings and cheeses. I rolled my eyes. Tawni and Zora finally stopped trying to kill each other, and Tawni leaned up on her elbows.

"Wait for us!" they said together, and we walked out, arms linked.

"So," Tawni said, after clearing her mouth of margarita. "Did y'all see Chad?"

Hisses of shock and gasps told her that we hadn't. My body stiffened. Chad was avoiding me, no one knew we knew each other, and Chad and the rest of my cast hated each other. Why the heck had he _been_ there?

"Chad Dylan _Pooper?"_ Nico said through a mouthful of Hawaiian pizza, causing sauce and pineapple to go everywhere. Zora's nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Chad?" I muttered, unable to talk loudly. I sounded more like I was in shock than disgusted, as the rest of them were. I felt like someone had poured cold water down my dress. Tawni glanced at me weirdly.

"Yeah. And did you hear him yelling, Allie? He was yelling Sonny. There is no Sonny in our cast! What was he trying to do, confuse the fans?" she ranted, but I wasn't paying attention.

"_Go Sonny!"_ someone had yelled. Chad. My best friend. Sorry, _ex_ best friend. He hated my show. What the heck was he doing there, cheering me on! Using my nickname! I started shivering.

"Allison? You okay?" Zora asked. She was the only one who hadn't picked up on my nickname yet.

_What a bad nickname. Sonny was so much better..._

Whoa. Where did _that_ come from? I didn't regret getting rid of the nickname! I needed to get rid of Chad!

_Bingo. That's why it was a good nickname..._

Okay, so I missed Chad. More than a _bit_. More than a _lot_! I missed him like he was my air. It had always been like that, I'd just denied it. Denied the pain of separation.

_Snap out of it, Allie!_ I told myself firmly. I was not going to go crawling back to Chad Goldfarb!

"I'm okay," I told Zora. She raised her eyebrows. "Honestly! I'm just... tired. In fact, I better get going... my mom's gonna wanna kill me with a hug or something..." I excused myself lamely. I needed space- to get my head together. To get _him out_ of my head, more exactly.

I looked under my chair to get my bag, but it wasn't there. Crap!

"Okay, problem. Have any of you seen my bag?" I asked, looking up from the floor. They all shook their heads.

"I don't think you brought it, Al," Tawni said, frowning.

_Oh, crap, oh, crap, oh crap_... that bag had the photo album of me and Chad! I tried not to panic.

"I'll take you back, Allie." Tawni offered. "To get your bag, I mean."

"Thanks..." I muttered. I grabbed my coat from the back of my chair and we ran out. It took no time getting to the studio in Tawni's pink convertible. I laughed quietly. Tawni was the physical embodiment of the colour _pink_.

We walked to our dressing room in silence. As soon as I saw my bag, I grabbed it and hugged it to my chest. I turned to see Tawni sitting on her leopard print couch, one leg folded over the other, arms crossed. She had a stubborn face on. I gave her a confused look.

"Spill!" she commanded. I flinched at her tone, and then got confused and worried.

"Spill what?" my voice cracked.

"Why you always freak out at the mention of Pooper!" she yelled at me, glaring. I mentally cussed her out for being so _observant_, then tried to put a calm face on. This should be fun. I was a terrible liar, as _he _had always been quick to point out.

"I... I don't..." I muttered unconvincingly.

"Sure, you don't. As soon as I said Chad, you looked _terrified_. So, Allison, you have a _lot _of explaining to do," she said through her teeth.

I bit my lip.

She got up and walked over to the door. I stared in horror as she locked it, but I couldn't stop her as she crossed the room and locked the other one as well. I was frozen to the spot, panicking. She turned to me.

"We're not leaving until you tell me," she said coldly. "You're my friend, Allie, but this is worrying me."

She sat down opposite me, and I prepared myself for a long night...

What had I gotten myself into now?


	11. Escape and Explanations

**I tend to think of this chapter as general insanity.**

**Thanks to my beta, Polka Dot Jewel!**

* * *

_"Don't make this worse  
You've already gone and got me mad,"_

**Avril Lavigne- Get Over It**

* * *

**Sonny**

I checked my watch; it was nearly midnight. My Mom was going to be steaming mad, but Tawni hadn't let me call her.

Currently, I was avoiding her gaze, rather than staring her down. We'd done that for a few hours. I yawned tiredly.

"Can I _go_, Tawni?" I asked, looking up to meet her penetrating gaze.

"No. I told you. You ain't leaving 'til you tell me the truth, sister!" she snapped at me, still staring me down, her blue eyes cold.

Where had _that _come from?

Tawni was one of those people whom, while being rude, were _still _flawlessly polite. It was _scary_. Unfortunately, now she was just being snappy.

I yawned again. Maybe she was tired too? I slumped down in my sitting position, letting my eyes close. Maybe I could sleep for just a few minutes...

My eyes flashed open as cold water was splashed all over me – in my eyes, my face, all over my hoodie. Luckily, my bag was sitting behind me, so there was no chance of water getting on my precious – yes, precious – photo album. It may not be what it once was, but the memories were still treasured in their own way.

Anyway, back to the point.

"_What was that for?" _I half screamed at Tawni. She looked back at me, silently putting the now empty bottle of water back into her bag. She shrugged.

"You were falling asleep. I forgot to tell you, as long as you're not telling me anything, you're staying awake!" She said brightly, her cold expression suddenly changing into a grin. I eyed her warily. "It's like a slumber party!" she gushed.

I fell back and groaned.

Tawni had officially gone _insane_.

I rubbed my eyes. It was one in the morning, and I was close to breaking point. We didn't say anything much, just stared each other down while we had the energy, the rest of the time just half sitting, half lying on the floor, but never sleeping. Tawni nudged me in the ribs randomly. I didn't respond. She did it again, and proceeded to keep doing it.

"I'm awake, I'm awake! Sheesh, stop trying to stab me with your pointy elbows!" I snapped at her. I was usually very nice, but the girl was holding me hostage, prying in my business and keeping me awake!

"Allison. You know I'll let you go if you tell me what I want to know?"

I glared at her through bleary eyes, and she smiled as she dangled the bait in front of me. I was a strong girl, but I was groggy, sleep deprived, and seriously, why was the fact that I knew, and loved, Chad Goldfarb such a big secret.

_They hate him, dumb ass_.

Oh yeah...

"Well. Okay. _Fine!_ You win. _I'll tell you_!" I screamed. I didn't mean to scream. But I didn't have much control over my voice right now.

"Yay!" She clapped her hands London Tipton-style and I would've rolled me eyes if I'd had the energy, but I didn't. I turned so I wasn't facing her. Lying was easier that way...

"Okay. Ya know how I freaked out over the Falls' poster, and you made a joke about me knowing him before he was famous?" I asked.

"I don't see what this has to do with anything, but yes..."

"Well... there you have it."

"There I have what...? Oh. _Oh_. No way!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, I used to know Chad. We were buds." I shrugged.

"But..."

"Nearly four years ago, he left. I didn't know anything. He just _left_."

"Four years ago he came and joined the Falls'..."

"Yes, Tawni. I realized that, thanks. So, anyway, after all my early teenage confusion, seeing him again? He wasn't always that way you know..."

"Oh, well... wait!" she said suddenly.

"What?"

"You made me hold you captive 'til _one in the morning_ because you _used_ to be friends with Chad?" she shrieked at me. I turned to face her.

"Yes."

"Why not just _tell_ me that?"

"Oh, let's see. You people _hate _him! What was I supposed to say? '_Oh, by the way guys, I know him_!' Yeah, that would've gone over great!" I yelled back.

"Allie. We would've yelled if you used to _date _him. Or... still knew him. I mean, if you knew him, you'd talk to him, right?" Tawni said, her mad expression suddenly melting to a friendly smile. "Yeah, if you were still friends, we'd have a problem! But he's never mentioned you. Yep, he's probably forgotten you exist!"

She looked delighted at this. I, on the other hand was not. Hey, how would you feel if you've just been told you're best friend doesn't remember you, never mentioned you, and oh, if you become friends again, you'll lose all your other friends. Wonderful...

The thing was, I missed Chad. I needed my best friend. What was a girl to do? However, I wasn't an actress for nothing. I put on a smile.

"Yeah, I know, right?" I said, adding a forced laugh. Tawni didn't know me well enough to know when I was faking.

"Now, I told you... so, so help me woman, let me _out of here_!" I screamed the last part at her, and she grinned and stood, then helped me up. Barely two seconds after she unlocked the door, I ran through it, screaming, "FREEEEDOOOOM!"

I heard Tawni laughing, but I continued running, my bag clutched to my chest, until I got to my car. Hands shaking, I unlocked it, and broke the speed limit driving home.

My mom was waiting up, sadly.

"ALLISON MUNROE! _WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN_?" she yelled at me. I hugged her, and then released her and stepped well back.

"Me and Tawni got locked in. We only got out 'cause the night guard was doing his rounds. So, I really, _really_ need to go to bed now. Night mommy!" I gabbled, making a break for my bedroom. It wasn't _really _a lie – Tawni had after all locked me in, and she had clamped her hand over my mouth when the night guard, my only other chance for survival, had come around. My mom glowered at me, but let me go.

I slammed my bedroom door, then tumbled gratefully down onto my bed, still fully dressed, and fell deeply asleep.


	12. Chairs Make Great Missiles

**Check out my one shots, Calm After the Storm and Blurring the Lines!  
**

**Huge thanks to my beta, Polka Dot Jewel :)**

* * *

_"But if I stay any more  
__We will both be drowned  
__By your holding onto me..."_

**Apocalyptica ft. Lacey Sturm- Broken Pieces**

* * *

**Sonny**

I was nearly late for work the next morning. I'd meant to take the photo album out of my bag before I left, but I had a sinking feeling Tawni had been suspicious. Unfortunately, after the late night and rush to work, of course I forgot to. I didn't even realize until I got given the next weeks script, and ran to put it in my bag. I silently cussed when I saw it. Stupid boy; his memory was _following _me.

Did I mention that I get paranoid when I'm tired?

I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed. I had big circles under my eyes, and my hair... well, let's just say it didn't look the best. The first thing Tawni had told me this morning was that Tween Weekly were going to have a field day with my appearance, that was, if they noticed me next to her brilliant beauty. I rolled my eyes at the memory. Tawni was a lovely person, but she was spoilt and a drama queen. I grinned as I remembered my overly sarcastic response.

I kicked my bag underneath my vanity, and skipped back to rehearsal.

Rehearsal was fun, but it _was_ work, so I was pretty burned out by lunch. I'd only got about five hours of sleep after all. I stifled a yawn, and walked into the cafeteria. I got my food – flinching slightly at the Mack Falls poster – and sat down, honestly with no intention of eating the food that was wriggling on my plate. Soon enough, I heard the definitive clicks that meant Tawni was coming – running, actually. I sighed and wondered, again, how she managed to run in stiletto heels. I was just grateful for my Converses.

Before I knew it, something was being slammed on the table in front of me. A magazine was what it was, upon glancing at it.

"What's this?" I asked boredly, barely looking at the cover. I was watching my food, which was now crawling off of my plate and onto my tray.

"The latest copy of Tween Weekly! Check it out... Chad made the cover _again_."

Grady and Nico crowded around to see, while I shrank back a little, and hunched my shoulders. I didn't want to see this.

Nico stabbed his finger down on the cover and said through gritted teeth, "Looks like Pooper's done it _again_!"

Despite myself, I was curious. "What's he done?" I asked tentatively.

Tawni looked at me curiously out of the corner of her eyes.

"Broken another girls heart. Aimee Andrews... Poor girl..."

"He's a heartbreaker?" I asked, shocked. They all gave me strange looks; Tawni at my interest, but Nico, Grady and Zora at the fact that I didn't know it.

"Yeah. Haven't you ever read Tween Weekly? Or watched it?" Zora asked, incredulous.

I shrugged. "Nah. I don't like gossip. Sure it's interesting but it seems... invasive. Having your personal life open for everyone to see?"

"It's part of celebrity life, sweetie," Tawni said, grinning arrogantly.

"So what else does... Chad." The name felt like broken glass in my throat. "What else does he do that's so bad?"

Grady rolled his eyes. "Let's see. Heartbreaker? Check. Puppy shover? Check. Arrogant know-it-all? Check... Oh, and idiocy? _Check_," he spat, ticking it off on his fingers.

I sat in shock. What had he _done_ to himself?

"He's not nice, sweetie." Tawni affirmed.

Suddenly, I was mad. More than mad! Chad had all this opportunity. but, upon taking it, he'd broken my heart. Having it, he was... he'd turned into well, a _bad boy_. I shuddered. My Chad, a bad boy? That was the thing, though, he'd done it to himself. Where was the sweet Momma's boy now?

Furiously, I stood up. I grabbed the magazine.

"Gonna have a read, Allie?" Zora asked, sounding amused. Is she actually twelve? She acts like she's at least thirty!

"Not quite," I said curtly, rolling the magazine so that it was a tough tube. "I think I have a better idea..." I clenched my hand firmly, holding the rolled magazine like a baseball bat.

"What are you going to do, Allison?" Nico asked, eyeing me like I'd gone insane.

"Oh, just going to get a little piece of mind. See you all later..."

And with that, I stormed out in fury.

* * *

_Mack Falls set... Mack Falls set... wasn't it around here somewhere? Oh man, I missed the turn..._

Finally, I found my way into their set. I was nervous; I'd never been around here before. The guard nodded and allowed me past. He knew I worked here, but I doubted he'd have let me in if he knew I was from _So Random!_ Oh well, what he didn't know, wouldn't get me thrown out.

As I stormed in, I also began to slow down a bit. The set was nice. There was a huge table of food, a chocolate fountain, and a blender containing what I realized, with a feeling of nostalgia, were loganberry smoothies. The set being used currently was a library, opening out to a balcony. I smiled. It was pretty.

Then my gaze focused on the people acting. A slim, pretty girl, who was, sadly, wearing way too much make up, who I was half sure I'd heard Grady refer to as Portlyn, and... and _him_. He was the lead right? Right. I had more important matters at hand, however. I waited until someone noticed me. Happily, it wasn't the director. It was Portlyn.

"Hey! Hey, there's someone here who... who shouldn't be!" she yelled, pointing at me overdramatically.

"Don't talk without a script, Port," _he_ said as an automatic response. Then he turned around, and saw me. His expression was odd. First, it lit up like Christmas day, then darkened to fear, then onto anger.

_Anger_.

My own ex-best friend was angry to see me. My stomach clenched. I was _furious_ as well.

"Hi," he acknowledged me coldly.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked politely. It was best to keep up a poker face. My hand, and the magazine I was holding, was held behind my back.

"Sure. Excuse us a second, Kat," Chad said to the tall, well-dressed woman who was the director. I was surprised when she nodded. Marshall would lynch us if we asked that without good reason. Mackenzie Falls sure did do it differently.

I followed him out, and he led me into an empty room filled with spare tables and chairs.

"I don't think anyone will eavesdrop here!" he said, turning to face me, smiling slightly.

It was then I realized he wasn't really angry at me. Well, too bad. I sure as heck was mind very _ticked_ at him. I clenched my teeth.

"What is your problem?" I asked him angrily.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me! What. Is. Your. Problem?" I said slowly, like I was talking to a five year old.

"I don't understand your question!" he snapped.

I gave up on the polite approach. I grabbed his arm, and starting hitting him with it.

"You're _famous_. You can have _girls_, _happiness_, and be a _role model_. Instead, you're a _heart stomping_, _arrogant_, _jerk face_!" I screamed in his face, punctuating with slams from the magazine.

"Calm down! Sonny, cool it!" he yelled, grabbing my shoulders.

Big mistake.

With a scream of fury, I did the only thing in my mind: I launched myself at him. He was knocked to the floor. He tried to push me away - which made no sense, we used to fight all the time - but pretty soon, we were rolling about the floor, punching and kicking. We weren't really actually hitting each other though, it was more like slamming into things.

Eventually, he rolled to his feet, and held his arms up in surrender.

"I can't fight you, Sonny," he said, calmly for having a bleeding lip. A table leg had done that, though, not me.

"You're right..." I realized in horror. "What did I just _do_?"

"Well, I gather you're not entirely pleased with my... _reputation_," he said, grimacing and waving a hand towards the abandoned magazine.

"No. No, I'm not," I said, vaguely realizing my lip was swelling up.

"Well..."

"Well, what? Chad, you've... you've changed. Do I even know you anymore?" I looked at him with accusing eyes, but really I was sad.

"It's not who I am, Sonny! It's my... public face. It's how I protect myself and my family..."

"That doesn't make sense, Chad, and you know it," I said tiredly.

"I know it's... hard to understand. But really Sonny... I'm... I'm still me. Just not many people know the real me..." He looked so... vulnerable.

I couldn't deal with anymore today.

"I can't... I don't believe you," I said softly. He looked at me with pleading eyes.

"Let me prove it to you, Son! Please, please!" He was begging me. Deep down, I knew Chad's 'public face' wasn't the kind of guy to beg, but the revelation that my best friend was scum hurt too much.

I shook my head. "I'll believe it when I see it, Chad. For now... I'm going back to your _rival_, "_So Random!_" Let's be honest. Could you really be best friends with the girl from your rival show?"

Without giving him a chance to answer, I walked away.

* * *

"Allie. What happened to your lip?" Tawni asked.

I touched it, and realized it was still swollen.

"I walked into a... a... wall?" Slammed by Chad into a chair, actually, but I didn't feel like admitting that.

She gave me a weird look before shrugging. "Anyways, bad news. Like, really bad. While you were gone, Mr. Condor told us he was tired of us fighting with Mack Falls... So we have to have a _'bonding exercise'_ with them," she explained, making quotation marks with her fingers.

Horror sunk through me. "What 'bonding' do we have to do?" I asked warily.

"It's ridiculous. We have to play _musical chairs_. Like, seriously, what age are we?"

"Can't we refuse?"

"Only if you want to be fired. That's how it rolls with Mr Condor. Do it or be gone."

"Great!" I groaned.

Oh, crap... Musical Chairs and a whole lot of Chad. Was my job really worth it?


	13. Musical Chairs

**A/N Sorry I haven't updated since Thursday! Excuses for that on last chapter :) Anyways, um... story recommendation: Marriage Class, by SonshineDays- it's awesome! Oh, and xmarkersarecoolx- yes I did! I'm eating a brownie right now... YUM! **

**Disclaimer: If I owned it, would I really be writing a FANfiction? Really?**** Now, on with the chapter!**

* * *

_"What if I believe you now?_  
_Could it ever change this?_  
_Forgive me, believe me_  
_Please come back tonight."_

**Flyleaf- Circle**

* * *

**Chad**

"Hey, Chad!" A female voice called me out of my daze, and I tensed up, thinking it was Marta (who was hating on me for some reason) or... or-

Oh, it was just Portlyn.

I bit my lip as I thought of no matter how nice and friendly and _not_ flirty Port was, I would much rather see Sonny walk through that door- she didn't even need to forgive me (though that'd be nice) I just wanted to _see_ her.

"Hellooo? Chad? You in there?" Portlyn was waving her hand in front of my face. I jumped.

"Oh, sorry... Port... I was just..."

"In a daydream?" She muttered, raising her eyebrows. I frowned, then realized she was right. I shrugged.

"Yeah, I've got a lot on my mind, I guess," I mumbled. She glanced at me in surprise.

"Anyway, what 'cha want, Portlyn?" I asked, trying to put my 'CDC' face on. It was hard, as now every time I tried, a picture of Sonny's shocked, accusing eyes came into my head. I sighed internally.

"I have bad news, Chad," Portlyn said gravely. Hm. When _Portlyn _says its 'bad' she actually means it (most of the time) when _Marta_ says 'bad news' she's freaking out about a broken nail or something (same with Blondie/Tawni, the Randomite) and when _Sonny_ says 'bad news'- well, life was about to get crazy for both of us.

Sonny...

"CHAD!" Portlyn yelled.

"Owww, what?" I whined, rubbing my ear. She rolled her eyes.

"You spaced out. Again. Seriously, why have you been so distracted lately?" Without waiting for an answer, she steam-rolled on. "Anyways, while you were away doing whatever it is you actually _do_ when you disappear off..." Long sentence much? "Mr Condor came and said we had to 'bond' with the Randoms!"

Oh, why is she talking like that? She _likes_ the Randoms. I sort of do too, but acting like I hate them is much easier.

"What?" I exclaimed. Keeping up my act. Then it hit me- Sonny! Ah, crap, how was I going to face her in front of my- in front of _both_ of our casts? I'd either cry, fall on my knees and beg for forgiveness, or be forced to ignore her and ruin any slim chance of getting my best friend back that I still had. Because I had no plan, no nothing. I just had Chad. The part of me that was still a teenager from Texas, who got called a sissy because his best friend was a girl from Wisconsin. The part of myself that I didn't hate.

I blinked.

"What exactly do... we have to... do with... _them_?" I said, for some reason finding it difficult to speak.

"We're playing... wait for it _Musical Chairs_ with them tomorrow. Apparently it's also a chance for everyone to get to 'know' their new cast member, Allison." She rolled her eyes. Sonny and Musical Chairs. Could my _ego vs Chad_ fight get any more difficult? I looked down at my hands. All I really wanted right now, was to have a Texas summer. With me and Sonny getting kicked out of places, eating ice cream and... and... just being ourselves.

"Great," I whispered sarcastically. Portlyn gave me a shocked look.

"Chad... are you... alright?" She exclaimed. There was a lump in my throat. I started to tell her I was fine, but my throat felt tight. I needed to get out of there- I was about to go to pieces in front of _Portlyn_. Sure, she was nice, but she'd never understand.

I looked at her shocked face, shook my head, and got the heck out of there.

I sent a text to my director, apologising for skipping out on afternoon rehearsal (again). It was all because of Sonny (again). I'd forgotten the impact she always had on me- I'm usually really stubborn, but she got what she wanted... most of the time.

I put my face into my hands miserably. I hadn't made my bed this morning, but it was made now, so obviously our maid had come off strike. I heard the front door slam.

"Chad!" My mom yelled. "What are you doing home from work?" I could hear her high heels clicking up the stairs. My mom is still totally Texas at heart, but she does _look_ like a Hollywood mom... she runs her own make up business. I smiled remembering all the makeovers Mom had inflicted on Sonny... I flinched.

Mom knocked my door lightly.

"Can I come in?" I just grunted. 'Take it or leave it' was exactly what I meant. She opened the door. I heard her huff of surprise, but didn't bother looking up.

"Oh, honey, what's happened?" She walked across and put her arm around my shoulder. Usually I'd shrug her off and kick up a fuss, but today I just didn't have the energy. She hugged me close but I didn't move.

"What happened, Chad? Honey?" I couldn't say anything. I hadn't felt this depressed since I wrote the letter that shattered my life. I put my head in her shoulder. She didn't say anything, just rubbed my back- able to feel there was a problem, somewhere. My mom was really great. Yeah, as Sonny would've said, I am a real Momma's boy. So sue me. I have a crap dad anyway.

Someone else crashed through my door. Without knocking. I looked up to see my big sister Vanessa, looking stunned and concerned. She's the closest sister I have- she's older, but her and Sonny used to get along real well.

"Do you know what's happened?" Mom asked her, squeezing my shoulders.

"Yes." What? How could Nessa know? I hadn't seen her since the last day she visited me on set, which was last week. Before this whole mess started.

"What was it, 'Nessa?" My mom was overly frantic... then again, I hadn't been so open with them in nearly four years. And Vanessa said two words which sent shock waves through my system.

"She's back." Nessa stated simply. Mom looked confused for a second, then I saw her face as she realized just who exactly was back. She put her arms around me again, then Vanessa came and sat on my other side and joined the hug. I think she was crying, but I couldn't be sure. But right now it was the three of us, together, thinking of the girl who had returned.

* * *

I felt better and worse the next day. On one hand, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to lose it and run far, far away- and on the other hand, today I had to face the Sonny. I set my shoulders. I refused to let emotion get the best of me today. I _refused_.

Everyone was giving me strange looks, but I pushed away the urge to hide, and kept my head held high. I had a sinking suspicion Portlyn had told everyone that I'd been _upset _yesterday- but they better not bring it up!

Rehearsal seemed to pass in a blur, then suddenly it was time for Musical Chairs. _Judgement Day_, I thought grimly. I gritted my teeth. None of my cast had said much to me today. They were all acting extremally strangely around me. I lead the way to the cafeteria. The Randoms weren't here yet. I took several deep breaths, trying not to freak out like a pre teen girl.

I heard the door open, and it took all my strength not to look up immediately in search for _her_. Mr Condor came in the back door, and told us (more like yelled at us) all to get into two lines. Facing each other. As I finally managed to shift my gaze from the floor, and my stomach clenched as I saw I was facing no other than Sonny. Our eyes met, and her smile became forced, as did my own. Portlyn hit my arm, and I looked around at her, annoyed. She just raised her eyebrows at me. Okay, what was that about? Suddenly, I felt awkward. But I looked back up at Sonny anyway. Suddenly, I seemed to forget about four years of missing her, and did exactly what I would've done four years ago. I smirked slightly and rolled my eyes. She rolled her eyes back at me, and put her hand on her hip. I grinned slightly. Just like old times.

Mr Condor called our attention, and we got the game started.

**(You all remember the game from SWAC. Just fast forward a little...)**

After a while, it was just me and Sonny circling one chair. Everyone else was out. The air was thick with awkward tension, and I was relieved to think that everyone else would pass that off as being to do with the game. But no, really, how often do (ex) best friends get forced to play musical chairs together? To save their jobs?

Can't say life at Condor Studios isn't interesting...

We kept glancing at each other- 'checking out the competition' but really confused as what the heck to do... Hey, what can I say? Years later, and I can still read her like a book.

After several long minutes of circling, several things happened at once; the music stopped, Tawni left in boredom, and Sonny toppled to the ground.

"Allie!" I heard her cast mates yell distantly. What everyone else was doing was insignificant. Overprotective as always, I rushed to her side, rather than taking the open seat.

"Sonny! Are you alright?"

Her eyes met mine, and she slipped her hand into mine. I felt frantic. Was she alright? Was she okay?

Then, just like the last time we'd carved out our names, she brought me crashing to the ground, and claimed the chair for my own. I shook my head.

Same old Sonny.

To say my cast weren't pleased was an understament.

"What _was that_ Chad?" Devon screamed at me.

I started backing away slowly from the five (**Um, Marta, Portlyn, Chasity, Devon, Skylar... Yep, five)** furious faces.

"What was what?" I asked, with a feeble attempt at nonchalance.

"You helped the new Random girl! She didn't even need help! It was a _trick_!" Marta yelled. Okay, I've always said this, but I'm saying it again; those two are _creepily_ alike.

"Um..." I couldn't think of anything to say.

"And you called her Sonny!" Marta added, as if this was a horrible thing.

"Isn't that her name?" I asked sarcastically.

"Her name's Allison. Sonny... where'd you _get_ that from?" Portlyn was the one yelling this time. What, were they taking turns?

"Oh, I didn't know it was important to remember their names now!" I lied. Without waiting for further accusations, I pushed past them and out of the room.

* * *

Somehow, I ended back at the 'private' room. Someone crashed through the door.

I turned.

_Sonny_.

She threw herself across the room and into my arms. I put my arms around her tightly.

I felt her sobbing into my chest.

"I'm sorry! I believe you, okay!" she mumbled into my chest. My eyes felt suspiciously prickly. I closed them tight.

"You had nothing to be sorry about, Sonshine. It was my fault. _Everything_ was all my fault!" I whispered. I stood there, holding her tight while she cried.

"So... can we be friends again?" I asked quietly, sometime later.

She was silent for a few seconds. I held my breath.

"No... we can't." She said softly. What? I could feel my heart breaking again.

"Because we're _best_ friends." She continued. I felt a grin break out across my face, and she looked up, grinning also.

I spun her around, yelling and laughing. Somehow, we ended up sitting on the sofa, still laughing and hugging. She pulled away, and we looked at each other quietly.

She threw her arms around my neck suddenly.

"It's good to be back!" She breathed, and I couldn't have been happier.

* * *

**A/N So there's what you've all been waiting for! Whoo! Reviews are love!**

**I won't be updating tomorrow, I have to help out at a thing in school, then go to GB, but I may update on Wednesday! Hope you liked it! **

**Nangelgirl x**

**EDIT 2012: Mostly what's been changed about this chapter is that Chad cries significantly less. When I first started writing this story, I hadn't quite got my grip on how to write in the style of 'teenage boy'. I'm hoping this draft is a little more accurate. :)**


	14. Rehearsals and Phone Calls

**A/N Time for a much needed update, don't cha think? I was going to update yesterday, but I was digging myself out of a huge pile of homework. Sorry guys :P Oh, and I'm glad y'all liked the last chapter! :D**

**Disclaimer: Do I look like a well-paid television writer to you?**

* * *

_"And every little thing  
__Would be fallin' into place,"_

**Big Time Rush- Stuck**

* * *

**Sonny**

Chad hugged me again before opening the door. I smiled. I couldn't stop smiling- this past week, my heart had gone back to beating the unnatural, broken rhythm it had taken on when he'd first left. He put his hands on my shoulders, face serious.

"Sonny... you know our casts can't know right?" I opened my mouth to protest, but he put his hand over my mouth.

"I know, I know. But they'd kill us, torture us, then fire us. In that order." My chest hurt when I realized I still had to keep a secret, but I couldn't help laughing at his ability to be completely ridiculous... even in serious situations.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow Sonny." I was confused- how could he see me? He smiled at my expression.

"I'll figure something out!" He said, holding up his hands defensively at my raised eyebrows. I looked at him for a few seconds before allowing the grin to spread across my face.

"Don't you always?" I asked, winking before I walked out.

"Allison! What happened at that stupid bonding thing earlier?"

"Why'd Pooper call you _Sonny_?"

"And where have you _been_?"

My cast members took turns yelling at me. I answered them the best that I could.

"You all saw what happened earlier. Apparently Chad Dylan Cooper's ego isn't as big as he pretends it is. I have no idea why he called me Sonny," _When he promised to stop himself when he broke my heart_. "And I have been... I was just thinking." Yeah. That'll work *snort*

Surprisingly though, it did.

"Well... among the weird things, Chad only ever helps himself. I've never seen him help anyone! Or talk to people like they're equal. But you, you've been here for two weeks, and he's rushing to help you and acting like he cares. He can't do that!"

And that's when I got mad.

"You know _what_?!" I yelled. They stopped puffing and glaring and stared at me. "You people are being _completely _unfair. Do any of you know him personally?"

Zora seemed to be the only one willing to fight back at this point. She stepped forward.

"YES. We do. He yells, insults us, and tells us how good he is. Do tell, Allison, why you're defending him?"

The truth? I could never tell them that. But I could sure as heck tell them one part of it. I looked at each of them in turn.

"Because I believe that there's good in everyone. It may take a while to reach it, it may be buried under several layers of _crap_." I stared at the toes of my scuffed Converse. "But it's there."

And with that, I walked past them and into my dressing room, to call my Wisconsinite best friend, Lucy.

"_Oh my gosh, Allie! What's it like in Hollywood? Give me details. Now. I can't believe it took you TWO whole weeks to call!"_ Lucy was half furious, half excited and hyper out of her mind.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Luce... it's just... been hard to adapt, y'know? There's been a lot going on."

"_Well, I know one great method to get rid of stress... tell your best friend all about it! NOW!"_ I smiled at her impatience. Ah, Lucy. I debated whether or not to tell her... I couldn't risk any of my cast overhearing, certainly, and also... well... Lucy had always been the most angry when Chad had left me. I wasn't sure she'd support my decision to let him back into my life.

"Very subtle, Luce." I rolled my eyes. "But well... if I tell you this, you have to keep it _absolutely _secret, got it? You can't tell _anyone_. No matter what."

"_Okay, now I definitely need to know! My lips are sealed, Al. What is it?"_

"Well... he... you know..."

"_Stop stuttering, Al, it's not good for your image,"_

"Chad's back!" I yelled. Whoops. I definitely did not to be that loud... I glanced around, checking for eavesdropping cast members. Sure enough, soon I heard Tawni's high heels approaching.

"_ALLISON MUNROE! Tell me everything! NOW!"_ Just then, Tawni entered the room. I smiled and waved at her to show her I wasn't mad anymore, then did something very brave.

"I've got to go, Luce. I'll talk to you later, promise!"

And then I hung up on her.

Yes. A _very_ brave thing to do... but I couldn't tell her with Tawni standing there!

"Who was that?" Tawni asked.

"Lucy, my best friend from Wisconsin." I said, shrugging.

"Okay... so, do you wanna run through the new script? Since we didn't get to rehearse it today, 'cause of the Musical Chairs thing..." I nodded, and pulled the script out of my bag.

_Check It Out Girls_. It was the first sketch that would involve only me and Tawni, and I had to admit I was excited.

* * *

Hours later, we were laughing, talking like we were chewing gum, and pointing at random things. It was so much fun! Of course, we ended up losing track of the time. It took me completely off-guard. Tawni was checking her phone, when she choked;

"Oh, my gosh, Allie! We only have half an hour before they lock the doors!" We stared at each other, then around our complete mess of a dressing room. We'd only been able to get out last night because Tawni had paid someone to leave it open- if we were still here in half an hour, we'd be staying here 'til morning. We frantically started gathering our things, but twenty minutes later, we gave up and left half a ton of things scattered around the place, and ran for the door.

We made it just in time. The guy who locks the doors raised his eyebrows at us but didn't say anything. For some reason, this was hilarious. I wiped my eyes after a few minutes of helpless giggling, then smiled at Tawni.

"Wish regular rehearsal was as fun as that!" She told me. My smile grew so that I was beaming.

"Same here, Tawn! Oh... Hey, I don't have anyone's number yet. Help me out?"

I frowned, and her happy face fell. "You're right! Here... I can't be bothered reading out numbers, it'll take forever and we'll freeze, so just take my phone, and _make sure it's back by tomorrow_!" She threatened me darkly. I gave a little squeal and thanked her as she thrust her pink phone into my hands.

"See you later, Allie!" She called over her shoulder at me. I waved, then did a little happy dance.

"You, girl, go home!" yelled a security guard, dangling a heavy set of keys and glaring at me. I jumped, then grinned and waved at him, too. He shook his head while I got into my car, laughing. The ride home didn't take long. Soon enough, I was bounding through my apartment door.

"Allie Munroe! Why are you late home! I know for a _fact_ your rehearsal ends at seven!" Mom yelled at me, her hands her on hips. I was in such a good mood, I just danced over to her and hugged her.

"Calm down Mom! Rehearsal was done early, but me and Tawn had a new sketch to rehearse, and it was _sooo_ much fun, and we lost track of time and kinda messed up the dressing room while we rehearsed, so we had to clean up, then we both went home, and now I'm here talking to you!" I babbled excitedly. I hadn't been in a mood this good in forever; not even landing my job at _So Random!_ had got me this hyped up. Unfortunately, Mom picked up on this.

"Whoa! What's got you in such a good mood? I haven't seen you this happy since..." She trailed off, suddenly wary. I widened my eyes, knowing who she was thinking of... and was unable to keep it from her.

"Since Chad," I finished for her, smiling. Her mouth fell open in shock.

"We talked today, Mommy. I forgave him." If possible, her mouth fell open wider- before a smile lit up her face.

"That's great... Sonny!" She said my nickname tentatively, and I shook my head, laughing.

"It's all okay, now Mom. Really. I gave him the chance. I have my best friend back in my life. I have an amazing job. I am _fine_," I assured her, and hugged her.

"Goodnight, Mom!" And then I danced into my room.

Humming, I looked through Tawni's contacts, and entered my castmates' numbers into my phone. I felt my breath catch as I scrolled past Nico and down towards Zora.

_Pooper._

She had Chad's number!

_Excellent_ opportunity. Tawni would never know, and I'd officially be back with my bestie on all levels. Grinning, I entered his number, followed by Zora's.

Putting Tawni's phone securely into my bag, I sat down on my bed, and sent a quick text to Chad.

_Hey, it's Sonny! Tawni lent me her phone... I didn't know she had your number! Anyways, see you tomorrow, _

_Sonny x_

Smiling widely, I dialled Lucy's number. One long phone call passed, full of Lucy yelling at me, being happy for me, and finally just acting like my best friend. After that, I finally collapsed into bed, after one of the best days of my life.

* * *

**A/N So how was that? I hope y'all liked it... Bit of a filler, I suppose. Anyways, I'll update ASAP. Review, cause reviews are love!**

**Love y'all. Peace out, suckahs!**

**Nangelgirl x**


	15. Seeing the Family

**A/N HEY HEY people :)Thanks for all the great feedback last chapter! I love you guys :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it, I swear down.**

* * *

_"This moment is perfect,  
__Please don't go away,"_

**Avril Lavigne- Innocence**

* * *

**Sonny**

I was actually early to the studio the next day. Whoa... Imagine that! Just as I got to the Prop House, my phone _moo_ed, so I flopped down on the couch.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, Sonny"_

"Chad!"

"_Well done, Sonny. I haven't changed THAT much, you know_," I rolled my eyes.

"Anyways, what's up?"

"_What time are you getting out later?"_

"Um, about seven I think. Hey, what are you planning?"

"_What makes you think I'm planning anything?"_

"I know you! You're sooooo planning something!" I sang out. I could practically hear his eyes rolling.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Goldfarb,"

"_Eh. I did forget something. You're a Munroe Mind-reader, as my little sister used to refer to you all..."_

"Oh, yeah... You mean little Esme? She's like, seven now right?"

"_Yep! Oh, and I heard you saw Vanessa on your first day... Did you not make the connection?"_

"I didn't know you were here! Did she also tell you that I threw a hissy fit?"

"_Yes. She was worried that my leaving had driven you insane_," His tone was joking, but I was suddenly serious.

"I was heartbroken, Chad! I refused to come out of my room for three days, and for nearly four years no one mentioned your name!"

"_If it makes you feel any better, I was much the same... except Vanessa kept insisting that I was heartbroken, and I was, but you know me... I wasn't going to admit that to her..."_

"Sounds like being apart wasn't the best idea for us, huh?"

"_Apparently not. You know I didn't want to go, Sonny..."_

"Then why DID you go?" My frustration at that question suddenly burst through.

"_I'll tell you later. It's not a fun story, so I don't want to have to tell it more than once, oh, and someone's about to burst into my dressing room,"_

O...kay then? I could hear yelling in the background. I guessed he was throwing whoever it was out.

"_Sorry about that. Anyways, do you wanna meet up later?"_

"Sure, where?"

"_There's a Dairy Queen just down the road..."_

"Ah. Alrighty, I'll ask Tawni where it is. Seven thirty?"

"_See you then,"_

I turned around and saw Nico and Grady standing there.

"Hey guys. What's up?"

"Where do you need to ask Tawni directions for?" Grady asked. Oh, crap, they overheard part of my conversation. I frowned.

"Where you two eavesdropping?"

"All we heard was 'Sure where?', then silence, then 'I'll ask Tawni, then' and then you hung up." Nico explained.

"Oh, I was just planning to meet someone. Do you two know where the Dairy Queen is?" Grady and Nico's eyes practically popped out. They looked insulted.

"Of course we know where it is!" Grady said indignantly.

"Alright, sheesh, calm down, it was just a question!" I snapped.

"What G means _is_," Nico said, elbowing Grady in the side, "We'd be happy to show you the way."

"No, no, just give me directions. I like to actually find places by myself." I got strange looks for that, but they wrote directions down on a piece of paper anyway.

"Thanks!" I said, hugging them, and then I skipped off to my dressing room.

Tawni wasn't there yet, so I pulled the photo album out of my bag. I smiled at pictures of Chad getting mobbed by Lucy (again) and a picture of Chad begging for my help (again) and of us running for cover (again). Tawni came in and I threw her phone to her before she could ask. She thanked me while I stuffed the album away.

"What is it with you and that _book_?" She asked irritably.

"Nothin' Tawn!" I said, grinning. It was going to be a great day!

* * *

**Chad**

"Someone's about to burst into my dressing room!" I told Sonny, and put the phone- my 'uncool' phone- down on the desk. Without hanging up of course.

"What do you want Marta!" I screamed at her. She blinked in shock, because I'd been in an amazing mood yesterday after making up with Sonny.

"I just... wanted... to know if... you had the new script?" She stuttered, staring at me tentatively.

"NO I DON'T! GET OUT!"

"FINE!"

She stormed out. I shrugged. An angry Marta is better than a flirtatious Marta. (Ewwww). I picked up the phone.

"Sorry about that. Anyways, do you want to meet up later?" Please say yes. We needed to catch up!

"_Sure, where?" _I grinned, knowing the prefect place.

"There's a Dairy Queen down the road..." I knew she'd want to meet there. Ice cream was a tradition for us.

"_Ah. I'll ask Tawni where it is. Seven thirty?"_ Intuitive as usual. How much she knows about me still never ceases to amaze me.

"See you then!" She hung up. I rolled my eyes. Only she could get away with that.

I ran to rehearsal cheerfully, and did an even more amazing job than usual. Even better, everyone else was doing better than usual too. Extra lunch, whoo!

"Okay guys, take an early lunch. Great job!"

We walked into the cafeteria. The Randoms were already there. I caught Sonny's eye, and she grinned. I grinned back, before turning my attention back to an impatient Chastity, who, thankfully, hadn't noticed who I was smiling at.

Lunch, and rehearsal after it, passed quickly. Before I knew it, it was seven fifteen, and I needed to get to Dairy Queen. I practically ran out to my car, and broke speed limits getting there.

What? I wanted to see my best friend.

I saw Sonny as soon as I walked through the doors. She grinned and waved at me. I walked over, and pulled out a chair.

* * *

**Sonny**

Chad was on time, which was shocking... the only time he ever used to be punctual was when Aunt Jenny threatened him. He sat opposite me.

"Wanna see what I found?" I asked him, grinning.

"Sure!" He looked excited, like a little kid on his birthday. I fought a laugh.

"Get me a 'shake and I'll show you." I commanded.

"What do you want?" He asked. I pretended to be shocked, hand over heart.

"An Oreo Cookie Dream?" He guessed. (**I made that up. Does it exist? How should I know?)**

"Ah, you know me too well. Now hurry up!" He bought our 'shakes, then sat down. There were two straws in mine, as I'd always done when I was younger.

"M'kay, ready?" I asked him.

"Show me!" I dug the photo album out of my bag.

"I found Mom's box of all the stuff I tried to throw out when you moved." He flinched slightly. "This is my favourite photo album!"

Soon enough, he had moved around to sit beside me, and we were flicking through pictures and laughing at the memories.

"Oh... do you remember that?" I would laugh, pointing at a picture.

"Duh!" He would say.

We were acting like little kids, but we didn't care. By the time we had laughed and nearly every photograph (each had a story to tell) the manager of the Dairy Queen came and basically told us to get out.

"We're closing in... five minutes ago. C'mon kids, time to go!" We just looked at each other, and burst out laughing.

"Four years later, and still getting kicked out of places!" I said, wiping tears out of my eyes as we walked out the door.

"Wanna come to my house?" I asked.

"Yep. Let's see if Aunt Connie recognises me!" He laughed.

"I'm sure she will," I assured him. I got in my car.

"Just follow me, 'kay?"

I drove out of the parking lot, and til his car was behind me before starting home. It was a short drive, and soon enough we were parked outside my apartment building.

I got out of the car. He came and stood beside me.

"C'mon!" I urged, grabbing his hand. A weird, warm feeling shot through me, which I ignored.

We ran up the stairs, and crashed through the door.

"Mom I'm home!" I yelled, and Mom poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Oh, hey sweetie," She said absently, then turned and shot out of the kitchen.

"Who is this!" Mom asked me, eyeing my hand in Chad's. We both giggled. Chad detached his hand from mine and stepped forward.

"Don't 'cha recognise me, Mrs Munroe?" Mom's jaw dropped.

"Chad? Chad Goldfarb?" He spread his arms wide.

"In the flesh!" He said overdramatically. I laughed as my mom attacked him in a hug.

"Oh, it's so good to see you!" Mom gushed.

"Good to see you too, Aunt Connie," He managed to gasp.

"Mom, stop crushing my best friend!" I yelled, and she released him.

"Four years apart, and you two act _exactly _the same around each other." She said, shaking her head. I just grinned, and dragged him by the hand to my room. He sat down on the bed.

"Guess what I learned, Goldfarb?" I asked.

"What, Munroe?" I pulled my guitar case out from its hiding place. His eyes went wide.

"No way!"

"Yes way!"

"Aw, c'mon... guitar was the thing I did that you didn't!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Let me see if I remember how to play this song... ready for a blast from the past, Chaddy?"

"Do I have a choice?" He asked, grinning.

"Nope!" I said, then started to strum. His eyes went wide again.

"No way!" He yelled, as I started to play the song he wrote for me for my twelfth birthday. **(I wrote this song. If anyone can think of a name for it, that'd be helpful and... next chapter dedicated to you! :D)**

_We always got into trouble  
__Kick assed team, we were a scream  
__Together, their problems were double_

_They always said to me  
__Boy, how'd you lead her so wrong?  
__I just grinned and said, I played along  
__She started the ride_

_On our own, we are too vulnerable  
__Together, we are unstoppable  
__Girl, it may sound cliché  
__Don't turn your head away  
__Cause, together, we'll get away_

_Once upon a time it was easy,  
__Never stand in our way  
__Cause we won't stop for you,  
__No, not today_

_They always said to me,  
__Boy, how'd you lead her so wrong?  
__I just grinned and said, I played along  
__She started the ride_

_On our own, we are too vulnerable  
__Together, we are unstoppable  
__Girl, it may sound cliché  
__Don't turn your head away  
__Cause, together, we'll get away_

_Yeah, we'll get away  
__Don't stop running  
__They're still coming  
__We're together, we're  
__Unstoppable, unbeatable  
__Unbearable, unbreakable  
__Ultimately free_

_On our own, we are too vulnerable  
__Together, we are unstoppable  
__Girl, it may sound cliché  
__Don't turn your head away  
__Cause, together, we'll run away  
__Yeah, forever we'll stay this way  
_

_Oh, can't you see, girl  
__What I see?_

By the second verse, he had joined in the singing, and was playing air guitar. I laughed, then set my guitar down.

"So, you still playing?"

"Yeah, it's my little secret though."

"Same here. I started writing songs... do you still write songs?"

"Yeah!"

"Ah. We should compare."

"Definitely. You know Sonny..." He said seriously.

"What?"

"I've missed you more than I could say. Really." And just like that, he hugged me.

* * *

**Chad**

Sonny hugged me back, then went to the toilet. As soon as she was gone, Aunt Connie poked her head in.

"Chad, can I talk to you?"

"Sure, Aunt Connie." She came in and sat beside me.

"What do you do to that girl, Chad?" Huh?

"What d'you mean?"

"Chad. Since you left, that girl's been hiding things, rarely laughing, and staring out a window whenever she's alone. One day, she comes home, bawling her eyes out, and all I can find out is that she's seen _you_." She stared at me. I sat in shock. My leaving really had broken my Sonny. _Broken_.

"And then last night, she came back, laughing, grinning and dancing around just like she used to. And what did she tell me? That you two were back to the way you used to be. She let me call her Sonny for the first time in years, and she was so _happy_, and it was _all because of you_." I stared at my hands, with mixed emotions. I'd destroyed Sonny, but then I'd built her back up again. That was it.

I was _officially_ never ever leaving her again. It wasn't worth it.

* * *

**Sonny**

I came out of the bathroom and sat down. Chad was being very quiet.

"You alright?"

He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly.

"I'm never leaving you again," He mumbled into my hair. I sat in his arms, just loving the feeling of being this close to someone I'd missed for so long.

* * *

Chad brought me to work, because I was going to his house after lunch. I left the photo album at home. I was in an exceptionally good mood, and even Tawni noticed.

"How are you so... perky?" She asked me grumpily. I shrugged.

"Guess I'm just in a good mood!" I said, before turning to my mirror to put make up on.

"What's that song you keep humming?" Tawni asked me.

"Hm? I wasn't humming, Tawn," I told her patiently.

"Yeah you were."

"Whatever, Tawni," I sighed.

After a few minutes, she flung her phone in my face.

"Press the play button!" She commanded me.

"Um... why?"

"Just do it!"

I pressed the play button. It was someone humming... it was Chad's song for me... oh! It was me humming... me humming Chad's song! Crap!

"There's your proof! Now, what was that song?" I shot her a weird look.

"Why do you want to know?"

"It's catchy," She said, shrugging.

"Well, sorry hon, you won't be able to find it anywhere," I said, grinning.

"Why not?"

"It was a song a friend of mine wrote me. So there are a total of about two people who know that song..."

"Can I hear it?" I studied her for a few minutes before shaking my head.

"Sorry, Tawni. It's sorta... personal." Not to mention the fact that Chad would kill me.

"Oh... alright then. Well, time for rehearsal! You coming?"

"Yeah... I'll be there in a few..."

"'Kay," She strutted out.

I yanked my song notebook out of my bag. I didn't have a verse yet, but the chorus of my new song was pretty much written.

_Cause after all that we'd been through  
__Didn't ever wanna let go of you  
__Though you had run free  
_"_Don't forget" was what you asked of me  
__So I lied but I never really let you go  
__Oh, you know_

I had tons of ideas, but before I could get much more done, Tawni dragged me to rehearsals.

* * *

Tawni had just left. I text Chad to tell him the coast was clear, and a few minutes later he came into my dressing room.

"Hey! Ready to go?"

"Yep," He held his arm out for me, and I linked mine through it.

Yes, we're weird.

It was a very long drive to his house.

"Jeesh, how far away do you _live_?"

"I live in the expensive part of Hollywood, Sonny." Nuh uh. No way! The Goldfarbs bought a fancy place? Never could've imagined _that_ one.

When we did arrive, my jaw dropped.

"Oh. My._ Gosh_."

"Trust me. It's actually the smallest we could find."

"Small? It's flipping _huge_!" He grinned.

"I know."

We got out of the car. Chad looked around at the cars parked in the driveway, assessing. "Right, so everyone should be home." He grinned.

"Okay..." Chad opened the door, and pulled me through by the hand.

"Mom! I'm home!" He yelled.

I could hear her practically running down the stairs.

"Chad, you're home early- _SONNY_?" She yelled, stopping short when she saw me."Sonny!" She yelled again, and swept me into a tight hug.

"Hi, Mrs Goldfarb." I mumbled. She released me but put her hands on my shoulders.

"Aunt Julia!" She, Chad, and I said at the same time. Then we all burst out laughing.

"Aw, we've all missed you so much, sweetie!" Aunt Julia exclaimed, hugging me again.

"And, I know Chad hasn't been the same since then. You complete him, hon." She whispered in my ear. Just like old times, when people claimed we were a 'couple', I blushed bright red. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, glad he didn't seem to have heard.

I stepped back, hearing more footsteps on the stairs. I looked up to see all three of Chad's sisters.

"SONNY!"

"Aww, I've missed you Goldfarbs- all of you!" I exclaimed, and suddenly, there were three female Goldfarbs on top of me. Chad's mom joined the hug, and eventually, I felt Chad himself wrap his arms around my waist.

The front door slammed.

"What is this?" said a male voice I'd never heard before.

One thought intruded.

That was _not _Chad's dad.

* * *

**A/N Ohh suspense! This is officially (and easily) my longest chapter. The author's note took it onto page number 8! :O Hope you loved! Review, because reviews are love *heart* and also, tell me if you liked the songs I wrote! Because they are SOO fun to write :D**

**Nangelgirl x**


	16. Why Chad Left And Who That Guy Is!

**A/N Heeeey guys! So I'm updating... I have good news! Tomorrow I'm off school, so I'll definitely get another update in then! Thank you ALL for 214 reviews! Whoo! Oh, and shoutout to FutureHeartbreaker for being first to review on the last chapter. For the name of Chad's song, LOTS of you said either 'Unstoppable' or 'Together' so at first, I was torn... sooo I'm either gonna go with 'Unstoppable Together' or 'Together We're Unstoppable'**

**Vote on that in reviews, will ya? I'll make my decision based on the majority vote :)**

**Oh and I... don't own SWAC *shudder***

Chapter 17

Why Chad Left

_Last time on DIKY..._

_The front door slammed._

"_What is this?" said a male voice I'd never heard before._

_One thought intruded._

_That was not Chad's dad._

SPOV

All of us sprang apart, and I was the fastest to see just who this guy _was_. To my surprise, no one seemed even surprised to see him. Actually, they all looked a little... guilty. About what?

Chad stepped in front of me, trying to block me from his view. I peeked around his arm, trying to get a better view. The man was tall, with dark hair and serious, cold blue eyes. Something in his eyes, or in the way he stood, sent a cold, uncomfortable shiver down my spine. He was wearing a suit and holding a briefcase. A businessman? I'd never seen him before in my life.

"I asked you all something," He said coldly. "_What is this_?"

To my surprise, Chad's mom and sisters didn't say anything- they just looked scared. Then Chad set his shoulders set, and he stepped forward.

"This is a friend of mine... 'Dad'" He swallowed, like it was hard to say the word. Was he delusional? That was not Joe Goldfarb! I smushed the urge to smack him upside on the back of the head. (**Yeah, smushed! xD)**

"Well, _Chad_," the man sneered. "I think that much was obvious." What the heck! Who was this guy?

"Charles, how... how was work?" Julia stuttered. Vanessa, Hayley and Esme all just stared away awkwardly.

"Girls you may leave," The man- whose name was apparently _Charles_- said, sounding amused. Who was he? Did he have authority here? And _why_ did Chad call him... Dad?

Chad's sisters escaped gratefully up the stairs, and I started to feel extremally uncomfortable. I leaned forward, just as Chad reached back and took my hand firmly. I relaxed slightly.

"Now, who are _you_?" Charles asked me. I hesitated, but was shocked as he grabbed my other wrist and yanked me forwards.

"I asked you a question, young lady," His voice was polite and amused on the surface... but he still hadn't removed his fingers from my wrist. I glanced at Chad. His face was blank, but I could see that he was seething. I yanked my wrist out of his grip.

"This is Allison," Chad introduced me before I could say anything. "She's a great friend of mine. Son, this is Charles... my _step-_dad." Julia had remarried? Julia had gotten _divorced_?

I forced myself to smile, and put out a hand.

"Nice to meet you," I lied through my teeth.

"You too, Allison," I dropped his hand, hoping and praying that the situation wouldn't get any more awkward. I tightened my grip on Chad's fingers. 'Charles' did not fail to notice.

"Sure you're just _friends_ there, Chad?" He joked. "Because if you are, Allison seems to have rather the wrong impression!" My jaw fell open. What the heck? I was... I... Chad and I had always been like that. People had never made fun of us a little, sure, but never so harshly or so... _casually_. My eyes narrowed. I had to defend myself.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it seems to be _you_ who has the wrong impression, Charles!" I said, perkily. "See, when you're boy and girl, and you're _best_ friends, you are totally comfortable with that person, and can hold hands and stuff. They are the ultimate comfort, company and waste of time... I'm sorry, you must never have had a friend as good as Chad!" I finished, completely perky the whole time, but with a big ice cold edge. Charles' eyes widened, and I took a tiny step back, smiling sweetly.

"Well... Chad, why don't you show your lady friend around?" He said coldly.

Chad nodded silently, but I could feel the smugness radiating from him. He didn't say anything, just used his grip on my hand to effectively drag me out.

His house was huge, but I wasn't getting the tour right now. Within a few minutes, he yanked me through the door to his room.

"Sonny! Tell me. _How_. How did you do... that?" He exclaimed, stumbling over his words.

"Do what?"

"Sonny, no one ever stands up to Charles. He has that air... y'know? He either just walks all over people, are kisses up to them. But you... you just told him where to go!" He stared at me, shocked. I dropped his hand and put my hands on his shoulders (quite a stretch it was too... the boy had grown).

"Chad. Not _one_ word of what I said wasn't true. Charlie obviously had crap friends, who gave him ideas of social behaviour that are again total... crap. So, despite Mr Psychotic down there... I am here to _stay_." I said, stepping back. He grinned.

"Now, what 'cha got in this place?"

"Oh you know... guitar, Wii, PS3, posters, mini fridge, regular teenage boys room really..." I stared at him.

"What?" He said. Clueless boy...

"Nothing..." I said, shaking my head in amazement. Eventually, we ended up on the couch (white leather!) playing on his laptop. After about an hour of looking up random pictures, taking part in the classic Google vs Yahoo thing (with hilarious results) before I finally managed to make him go onto YouTube.

"Oh, my gosh..." I heard him mutter.

"What is it?" He pointed silently at his 'subscription' list. Under 'Tween Weekly' there was a video called...

_What's Going on With the New Girl and CDC?_ We shared a look, then he clicked on the link.

"I'm Santiago Heraldo, and I'm here... reporting on the latest shizz of everyone's favourite studios, Condor Studios!" An ugly, grinning man appeared on screen.

"Ew." I mumbled. Chad shushed me.

"Anyway, this is a special report on _So Random!_'s new girl... Allison Munroe!" My picture appeared on screen.

"Now, when we first saw Allison, she was premiering in her first live performance on the show. She was very nice and innocent, but recent footage is showing quite a different side to young Miss Munroe! Now, the rivalry between her show and hit drama _Mackenzie Falls_ is well known. But it was unexpected that the new girl from Wisconsin would catch on so fast! Because, we have, right here, footage of her and Chad Dylan Cooper in a fight!" There was a (very fake) gasp from the audience. Smirking, he hit Play. My onscreen self started hitting Chad. There was no audio, but it was obvious we were arguing. Then, Chad tried to calm me, touching my shoulder. And I very obviously screamed, and launched myself. We rolled on the floor fighting for the next few minutes before the footage cut off. We looked at each other in horror.

"So, what do you all think of that? But it only gets better, folks! As we also have a picture, which was sent in anonymously, and was taken just yesterday!

A picture of Chad and me laughing our heads off in Dairy Queen showed onscreen. Chad was jabbing his finger down at a picture, obviously, but no one else could see that- the table and our knees hid the photo album completely.

"So, what exactly is going on with new girl and our favourite bad boy, CDC? Tune in next time! I'm Santiago Heraldo, and this is _Tween Weekly!"_

The video ended. We were sitting still, in complete shock. Our eyes met, horrified.

Vanessa crashed through the door, breaking the silence. We turned to look at her.

"Did you two see Tween Weekly?" She asked. Neither of us said anything. Still in shock. Nessa forced a laugh.

"Judging by your faces, you did. You two are going to be killed by the paps tomorrow... have fun!" And with that, she waved and ran. We finally became unfrozen.

We avoided the subject, and played around on YouTube, until his laptop ran out of battery.

"Chad..." I said softly.

"What?"

"You never really told me... why did you leave?"

"I got a job on Mackenzie Falls," He lied, avoiding my eyes. I poked his shoulder.

"I know _that_... but it goes deeper than that..." Something in him seemed to just slump over.

"Fine. I'll tell you. But I'm warning you... it's not nice." I grabbed his hand.

"I've dealt with not nice. Tell me."

"Okay, so... three years ago... I think you'd just gone back to Wisconsin after spring break... we found out Dad was having an affair." My breath caught. Uncle Joe?

"Yeah, I know." He said, seeing my expression. "Mom just- freaked out. They split. It moved so fast... they kept it from everyone. Dad was sleeping in the guest room. So after a messy- but quiet- divorce, Mom started dragging me to auditions. Said I was a 'natural performer'- but she really just wanted out and the heck away from Dad." His voice caught. "I don't know why Dad had to do something like that..."

"Anyways, Dad found out. They had a huge fight over it- I ran it, trying to separate them. Then, another thing I'd never thought could happen _did_ happen." I waited ,breathless, to find out. But what he said next nearly stopped my heart.

"Dad hit me."

"HE WHAT!" He smiled sadly.

"Yeah. He punched me in the face. Mom threw him out but... after school the next day, he caught me and starting beating me around." He closed his eyes at the memory, and my eyes filled with tears, hating the pain on his face. Hating Joe for putting him through it.

"And then, I auditioned for Mack Falls." His smile got a little twisted. "Guess what Mackenzie's dramatic monologue was? Some crap about one of his step dads, who _had an affair_, then when things got tough, started _beating him around_. So, I was able to get into character with ease." Tears started to fall down my face. I put my hand on his arm, lost for words.

"I got the part. I found out a few days before your birthday- you were in Texas! But you'd already gone back to your relative's house, and I realized we needed to keep it secret... Because if Dad thought you knew, he'd find you and beat you, trying to get answers. We weren't going to tell him anything- and I sure as heck wasn't getting the crap beat out of _you_ in the process!" His voice was suddenly fierce, but his eyes were pain filled, and my heart was breaking for him.

"Chad..." I said, grabbing both his hands. He was mumbling incoherently about his dad. "Shhh..." I said, pulling him in for a hug. "Shhh, shhh now..." I mumbled.

"So... that's my story. The story of where the heck Chad Goldfarb went..." He said, forcing a smile.

"Chad... it's okay. You don't need to pretend with me." I said quietly. His smile was more genuine this time.

"I'm alright Sonny. It was a long time ago now... I kept you, and my family safe from Dad. That's what matters."

We stared at each other for a few minutes, before Chad stood up and grinned.

"So... you up for some Call of Duty, Munroe?" I grinned back, appreciating his effort (and clear need) to move off of the subject.

"Oh, you're so on!"

**A/N Alright, so crappy filler chapter, crappy ending... anything about this not crap? I don't think so :( sorry it sucked... I'll update tomorrow. This ended up a major filler... I'll do better tomorrow. Promise :(**

**Pretty please review! Oh, and if you review... don't forget to vote about the song name! Remember, I have it narrowed down to 'Unstoppable Together' or 'Together We're Unstoppable'- Those are the ONLY two choices... sorry :P**

**Anyhoo, love y'all, see ya later peeps!**

**Nangelgirl x**


	17. Another Explanation & an Anniversary

**A/N Thanks for reviewing guys :) Okay, so the song will be 'Together We're Unstoppable', is it received more votes. And I realized that I cut off Chad's little story before Charles came into the picture.. Whoops! I'll get that fixed, 'kay?**

Chapter 18

Anniversaries and Another Explanation

"Ha, I win _again!"_ I yelled. "You are losing your touch, Goldfarb!" I nagged, poking him in the chest.

"Shh... if _Charles_ hears Goldfarb he'll be all over me. Or you... even more all over you... because you've already ticked him off." Chad said, going from joking to serious in a second. I dumped my PS3 controller (**remember last chapter he challenged her to Call of Duty? xD)** and turned to face him, hands on hips.

"How'd your mom end up with him, anyway?" I asked.

"Well, when we first came to Hollywood, we weren't exactly prepared. We practically ran away in the night- Mom didn't have anything organized. No place to live or anything. Anyways, Charles was the 'nice guy' who took us in. After a few weeks, he asked Mom out. She was grateful to him I suppose... my sister described it as a 'whirlwind romance'" He drew quotation marks with his hands. I nearly laughed- Chad had never talked like a great romanticist, but he was always very sweet... and absolutely terrified of girls. "So, they got engaged... after just three months!" He ran his hand through his hair, like he was still frustrated. "Wasn't a long engagement either. Two months! And yeah, suddenly we had a place to live, money to fall back on if I lost my job... but once they were married, he got so... _controlling_. He's psychotic, and I don't think Mom even sees it!" He was staring past me now, reliving the painful memories. "My mom acts like a teenager. She falls in love, gets stuck, and _man_, she just goes from one _stupid_ marriage to the next." Chad sat down on the couch suddenly, grabbing my hand and pulling me down with him. "He wouldn't let me keep Goldfarb. He made us all change to Cooper- and my _agent_ thought it would 'sound better' if I used my middle name as well. And thus, the 'CDC' was born," He finished glumly, spreading his arms out limply.

He looked so... sad. I patted his arm, and he smiled a bit.

"Hey... don't worry. You've lived through three years of him... one more year... and a bit... you'll be eighteen, and you can get outta here!" I said brightly, trying to comfort him. It worked... his eyes brightened a little.

"Yeah... I will be out faster than you can say Chad Dylan Cooper! Oh, and you're coming with me... even if I have to knock Connie out," He added casually. I laughed.

"What would you need me for?"

"I told you... I'm not leaving you again... so that means... if I'm leaving... you're coming with me!" I rolled my eyes at his enthusiasm.

"Course I am, Goldie. Oh, and you could explain the fact that you kidnapped me to my cast."

"Ahh, they'd get over it..."

"Sure they would..."

We continued play fighting until my phone... _moo_ed. I picked it up.

"Hi, Mom,"

"ALLISON! WHERE ARE YOU?"

"I'm at Chad's?"

"GET HOME, _NOW_! YOUR CURFEW IS TEN THIRTY! DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?"

"No, in fact I don't. And ten thirty? You never told me that."

"Yes I did. AND IT'S CURRENTLY ELEVEN THIRTY!"

"Okay, okay, sheesh, I'm coming now..."

She hung up. I sighed.

"Problems?" Chad asked.

"Apparently, my curfew is ten thirty. Not that she ever _told_ me that or anything. Could you take me home?"

"Actually, my curfew was fifteen minutes ago... so Vanessa will have to take you home. Or Hayley. Whichever."

"Alright..."

We ran up the stairs to Nessa's room. Chad knocked.

"Yo, Nessa, Sonny's mom wants her home... can you take her?"

"Why can't you take her?" The twenty year old asked grumpily.

"Because it's past my curfew...?" Vanessa snickered.

"_Curfews_," She muttered. "Remember those? Anyways, sure, I'll take you home Sonny."

"Thanks..." She brought me into her room. I waited awkwardly while she grabbed her car keys and her purse.

"Alrighty, let's go!" Vanessa said cheerfully, not seeming to notice my awkwardness. We walked in silence to her car. It was pretty fancy, too. I raised my eyebrows.

"Nice!" I commented.

"Thank you. Having a brother working as a drama actor has its perks, you know," She said, flashing a smile.

"He bought you that?" Chad randomly bought his sister a fancy car?

"Yep. My 18th birthday. Don't let his ego get you, Sonny. He still has a sweetheart side... just buried a little deeper." For some reason, this made me laugh, as she unlocked the car.

"What's funny?" Nessa asked as we got in.

"Well, all my new friends keep claiming he's a jerk. But the whole time he's with me, he's been nothing but sweet." I said thoughtfully. Vanessa laughed.

"Sweetie, Chad's _always_ been sweet around you. You're his best friend. Not many people would cause him to cry when they rejected him after four years." I smiled, then realized what she'd said.

"I made him cry?" I was horrified. Now that I knew the reason he'd left... It didn't seem fair.

"Sure. He came home that day, and he was _pret-ty_ cut up. Even let Mom _and_ me hug him. While he bawled his eyes out... he also came home from work two hours early. Just so he could... um... melt down." Now I felt horrible. I'd cried myself, but I'd made Chad cry? I glanced over at Vanessa, and was surprised to see her smiling.

Then I realized this was her idea of payback... for yelling at her and making her brother cry. She was guilt-tripping me! I sighed.

"Look, Nessa... I'm sorry I yelled at you, okay?" She sat silently, focussing on the road. "It was a mistake. But put yourself in my shoes! What would you have done if your AWOL best friend's sister randomly ran into you at your new job?" She was still refusing to look at me. "Nessa, I'm _sorry_. Truly, I am. And not just for that... I never meant to hurt Chad. I was hurting, bad. I lashed out. If it helps, I spent the whole night crying too..." Finally, she seemed to soften a bit. I fell silent. I'd run out of things to say.

"I'm sorry too, Sonny. I guess I just didn't like seeing my brother like that. He's been so distant the past couple of years, you know? And now that you two are friends again... it's like he's back. He's smiling. And laughing. And it's _all _because of you."

I was quiet. Had I known I had an affect on him? Yes. Had I known I had _that_ much of an affect on him? No. Not at all.

After a few minutes of silence, Vanessa peeked at me.

"Sonny? You okay?"

"Yeah... I'm fine. Gosh."

"What?"

"Chad said... I quote "I'm never leaving you _again_." Then tonight, he told me if he moves out, I'm coming with him. I guess I forgot how close we were... when we were little, we never really planned further ahead than the next holiday, right? And now suddenly, it's like he's suddenly realized he has a whole life to lead." It was hard to describe my feelings. But weirdly I was... happy.

"Is that a good thing or bad thing?" She asked me.

"Good. Definitely good. He's my best friend! Okay, I've gotten _crazy_ close to Lucy but... Chad's the best friend I've ever had. Always will be. The last couple of years... I just want to forget. Move on." She nodded understandingly.

"You don't have a clue what I mean, do you?" I asked, grinning.

"Not a bloody notion," She said cheerfully (**Okay, first and last time I'll swear. It just fit sooo well) **

We both burst out laughing, and we spent the rest of the ride home laughing and talking about little things, like hot guys, and make up. Normal girlie stuff.

"Bye, Nessa!" I yelled. She smiled and waved as she drove off. I ran up the stairs.

"ALLISON! WHAT TOOK SO LONG?" I shrugged.

"He lives in an expensive neighbourhood. There was a ton of traffic and... Vanessa had to bring me home." I explained in a rush.

Her expression didn't smooth out.

"Okay, and I made up with Nessa, you know who I totally screamed at her? Yeah, I fixed that. Oh, and I found out why he left in the first place, but..." Her expression lit up, then fell at the 'but'. "It's his story. Not my place to tell. Sorry Mommy!" I grinned and skipped off.

~Three weeks later~ **(It's now mid May. It was mid-late April when Sonny first came to the studios)**

I woke up knowing something was wrong- something bad was happening today. I groaned and rolled over, reaching for my phone. The date was lit up on the screen in big white numbers.

_16__th__ May 2009_

My eyes opened a little wider in shock- and pain.

Today was going to be a hard one.

**Chad's POV**

My annoying alarm beeped, waking me up. I moaned and tried to turn it off. I couldn't find it. _Darn_.

I put my head out from under the covers, and the date caught my eye. _May 16__th__._ Hmm... there was something familiar about that.

I rolled over and looked at the screen of my phone. I smiled. I'd replaced the picture of Sonny and I when we were little kids to one of us laughing and posing... it was from last week. Much better. I smiled at it absently, before I realized the connection between the date and Sonny.

_Oh man._

Now, I would have to juggle work, keeping the secret and- ah. Comforting my best friend. Well... Sonny came first. Because after nearly four years, I couldn't hurt her- not today, of all days. She'd _never _ forget that. No... couldn't leave her...

On the anniversary of her dad's death.

Today, Sonny came first.

~Four hours later. Tawni's POV~

Something's wrong with Allie today. She hasn't fought with Pooper (after that bit on Tween Weekly about them, they _really_ hated each others gut, and kept fighting... I think) and she hadn't been all preppy and smiley. She's barely said a word all day. I talked to Nico, Grady and Zora about it- they've all noticed, but no one knew what was wrong. Marshall kept yelling at her during rehearsal... she wasn't paying any attention.

Our suspicions were confirmed during lunch, when we were hanging in the Prop House. Allie was sitting in the corner, quietly, when... Chad came running in.

He went for her immediately. I was ready to defend her, 'cause it looked like she wanted to be left alone, but she stood up. Then, it got weird. Instead of griping or fighting or yelling a ridiculous accusation, he grabbed her shoulders. He looked... worried about something. And then, it got weirder.

"How are you holding up?" He whispered to her. The rest of us shared a worried glance, and waited to see what would happen. We expected her to brush him off- or at least I did. But her lips started trembling.

"I... I'm... I'm not!" She wailed suddenly, and burst into tears on the spot. All of us were shocked- except Chad, that is. He pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her.

"Shhh... its okay... shhh..." He mumbled, rocking her while she sobbed.

What the heck was going on? It was like the rest of us weren't even there- just Allie and something that was clearly hurting her and Chad... comforting her?

"I just... I miss..." Allie said incoherently.

"I know." He said firmly. "I was there; I held your hand through it,"

What? Chad held her hand? And through _what_?

"I don't think I can work..." She fretted. She pulled away from him and gave him puppy eyes.

Puppy eyes?

"Sonny, don't worry. I'll get you out, sweetie. C'mon,"

And they started to leave, without a word of explanation. But, the rest of us needed an explanation. First, why was she upset? And why was _Chad _the one comforting her? Why'd he call her 'sweetie' and hug her and be nice to her?

None of it made sense.

So I, Tawni Hart, stopped them.

"Hold up!" I said commandingly. They turned, Allison puffy-eyed, Chad looking... concerned.

"What, Blondie?" He snapped at me. Gee, Allie gets treated nice and he can't even remember my name?

"What the flip is going on?" I demanded. The rest of the cast- minus Allie, of course- made noises of agreement.

"Why's she so upset?" Zora demanded. Chad looked at Allie, almost like he was asking her permission. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"I..." She couldn't get the words out. Chad put his arm around her supportively.

"It's a sad day," He said simply.

"Yeah, got that, _thanks_," I snapped. "_Why's_ it sad? And why are _you_ being nice?"

He sighed impatiently.

"Tell them..." Allie mumbled.

"Tell us what?" Nico asked sharply. Chad sighed, running his hand through his hair. That was another surprise- he was messing it rather than fixing it?

"Today... today is the anniversary of... the death of Sonny's dad." Chad blurted. It looked like it had been painful to say the words.

"Allie?" I said tentatively. She just nodded, biting her lip to keep in the tears. Chad took her hand protectively.

"Look, leave her be! Can't you see she's upset?" He asked angrily.

"We will. Just tell us why you know what's going on!"

"Told you awhile back, Tawni," Allie- _Sonny_- choked out. "Me and Chad used to be friends. This is just... for old time's sake." Chad forced a smile.

"Yep, one day only. Tomorrow, we hate each other's guts. Right Munroe?" He said, elbowing her in the ribs gently.

"Right, Go- Cooper."

"Let's go... see your Mom. I know this is important."

The two of them shared a brief, weird look. It was wary, like they were afraid of what had just happened.

But then they left.

And they didn't look back.

Nico turned to me.

"They knew each other?" He asked me.

"Apparently. Don't get along so well, though. He just knows that today she's... mourning. Gosh, we didn't even know he was dead!"

"Wonder how long it's been..." Zora murmured humbly.

"I know... you know, guys... her and Cooper hate each other really. They just need one day of getting along... for Allie."

And to my surprise, the rest agreed.

"But we still hate Cooper, right?" Grady asked. I smiled.

"Yes, Grady. We all hate Cooper."

**Chad's POV**

"That was close," I murmured to the still sobbing best friend of mine. She managed a nod. We were now sitting in a little old park- on a forgotten looking bench. The closest thing to Wisconsin we could find.

I was sad, too. Uncle Blake was the best uncle _ever_. He'd been like a second dad. I'd been hurt by his death too. As soon as I'd seen Sonny earlier, I'd known I'd need to talk to her. So yeah, I risked our little secret in front of the Randoms. We'd blown it off- today, it wasn't important.

We slid off the bench and onto the ground. Sonny slid a candle out of her bag. This had always been our little mourning thing- to light a candle.

I slipped some matches out of my pocket.

"Ready?" I asked. She nodded, tears dripping down her nose. It killed me to see her so sad. I struck a match, and handed it to her. Carefully, she held the burning match to the wick. It caught easily, and I blew the match out for her. It was sitting between us now. I took her hands, and we made a little circle around it with our arms, to protect it from the wind. Sonny's eyes slid closed.

It wasn't exactly a _ritual_- we were both Protestant Christians- it was just our little way of _remembering_. Instead of buying flowers, we lit candles. Gotta problem?

I closed my eyes too. I remembered old times- bike rides with Sonny and Uncle Blake. The funeral. Other candles lit in the past.

I opened my eyes, just in time to see Sonny open hers. Our eyes met in understanding, and at the same time, we leaned in and blew the candle out.

Silently, we walked back to my car. I hugged Sonny- it had been hard for her, I knew. But it was going to be alright. Now, we had each other. Nothing could stand in our way.

**A/N Okay, I hope I didn't offend any one with the candle thing. I honestly do not believe in rituals and spirits and all that- as mentioned above, I am a Protestant Christian. I don't want to have offended any other religion here.**

**So... did ya like the chapter? I hope you did! Because it is officially 1:13am, and I need to go to bed! I snuck onto my computer to finish this, and I'll post it in the morning. Later... as in when I get up. Haha. Night, all.**

**Nangelgirl x**


	18. Friends and Feelings!

**A/N I would've uploaded yesterday, but did anyone else get blocked by that stupid error yesterday? I did! Anyways... I love you all! Your reviews make me sooo happy :) 250 reviews is amaaaazing :D Dedicated to iluvchanny13 for reviewing like five times in a row xD**

Chapter 19

Friends and... Feelings?

**CPOV**

Sonny was much happier today. Somehow, we kept our little day of mourning out of the knowledge of Tween Weekly and my cast- and although Sonny's cast _did_ know, they were being surprisingly relaxed about the whole thing. I bumped into her in the cafeteria. I could hear the laughing of her annoying friends, so we put on a show.

"Watch were you're going," I snapped.

"Maybe _you_ should watch it!" She replied icily.

"As much as I'm not enjoying talking to you, I have to go do some _real_ acting on the Falls." I said cockily. Usually this is where we stormed off. But _someone_ was putting on even more of a show than usual. Sonny cocked her hip and stood with her hand balled into fists, one placed on her hip.

"I wouldn't consider that _real_ acting, Cooper. More like method acting." My jaw dropped. "Oh, haven't you heard of method acting? It's when you really get into character- become them, not play them. Of course, I should've realized. You are _way_ too amateurish to do that!" Sonny finished her piece with a cold laugh, flipping her hair.

Had I missed something? Since when had my sweet, pretty best friend got this attitude? I barely registered her friends coming up behind her. I fixed a glare onto my face.

"Oh, so now _we're _the amateurs. Says the leader of the _Funny Hut_." I snapped. I heard a mean laugh behind me, and looked out of the corner of my eye to see my own cast come in. All of them.

"Yes. You're the amateurs!"

"You're show is for kids aged four to seven!"

"At least my show brings joy to our viewers!"

"At least my show _has_ viewers!" We were yelling now. She was standing with her hands on her hips, breathing hard. I vaguely noticed that she'd straightened her hair, so it looked even prettier than usual. We stared each other down- it wasn't fair. _Ugh._ _You're pretty. You have the advantage._ I thought to myself.

"Gee, way to insult me Cooper... you think I'm pretty?" She threw me a smug (and shocked) smile, but I could see the pink tinge creeping into her face. Oh. My. Crap.

Did I say that out loud?

Blood rushed to my face as I suddenly noticed everyone else gawking at me, too.

"I... I..." I stuttered. Okay, something was going on. Sonny was my best friend. She couldn't have... _this_ kind of affect on me.

"I give up. You win this one!" I said quickly, then I turned and ran off, to the sight of Sonny's mouth hanging open and some very shocked people.

**SPOV**

I was having far too much fun. Our voices were loud and angry- our fighting was way worse than usual. I could hear Tawni giggling behind me, and I was very conscious of Chad's castmate... Chasity? Yeah, whatever. I was very aware of her glaring at me.

"You're show is for kids aged four to seven!" He yelled at me.

"At least my show brings joy to our viewers!"

"At least my show _has_ viewers!" _Ouch_. He'd told me he'd actually _liked_ the show- not that he'd admit that to anyone.

Our eyes met and we both glared furiously. I could see Chad thinking behind the angry face, though. Just then, his glare dropped and he looked a little confused, then annoyed.

"Ugh. You're pretty. You have the advantage!" He informed me grumpily. It took all my strength not to let my mouth fall open in shock. See, the little Chad I knew, was a lot different from the Chad standing in front of me. Little Chad was very much a people person, and got along with girls _and _boys. But if anyone mentioned the 'girl-boy' thing, and he immediately got all awkward and started blushing. If I ever asked, he always said I looked nice, but that was a best friend requirement. I didn't think he'd ever really looked at me that way- and anyway, the last time we'd seen each other as kids, we were more at the celebrity crush stage. I knew he was a... um... ladies man (**awkward turtle)** now, but I also knew he didn't just openly compliment when he didn't have to.

Especially not to people he didn't want to date.

Especially not to the 'Randoms'

Especially not to _me_.

But here he was, pointing out I was pretty, a complete (and unnecessary) lie- when we were supposed to hate each other- when we were fighting- when we right in front of _both_ of our casts!

I pulled myself together mentally.

"Gee, what a way to insult me, Cooper..." I was growing quite used to that surname, actually. "You think I'm pretty?" I couldn't help speaking the question. Thankfully, it came out smug, rather than drop dead shocked. Like I actually _felt_. I also couldn't help the blush I could feel spreading out across my cheeks. I expected a witty, sarcastic reply. Something along the lines of 'Keep on dreaming!'

But it didn't come.

Instead, a suddenly very embarrassed Chad stuttered and looked around the now silent cafeteria, panic-stricken. His eyes met mine for a second, then dropped awkwardly.

"I give up. You win this one!" He said quickly. I was sure I was the only one to pick up on the desperate edge to his voice, before he rushed out. The cafeteria stayed completely silent for a few seconds, before the stunned Mack Falls cast suddenly melted into motion. A tall, dark haired girl got in my face.

"Don't get your hopes up, _Random_. He'd never date you. You're not even a _proper_ actress. You're just cheap _crap_."

Tawni seemed to unfreeze behind me, and darted over to stand beside me.

"Oh, Penelope. Get over the fact that Cooper _does not_ have a crush on you. It looks like he _likes_ Allie, here." She nudged me. "Sooo, get out of here. You know that the rest of your cast have already left, right?" Tawni informed the other actress casually. She shot me a look of pure venom before flouncing off. Tawni just rolled her eyes at the over dramatic performance.

Then Tawni turned and signalled at Zora. They each grabbed one of my arms, and effectively dragged me out of there, towards the Prop House. I could hear the guys following behind us. They shoved me onto the couch, then all stood in front of me, with identical questioning, slightly accusing eyes, and their arms crossed.

Tawni was the first to speak.

"So. Looks like Pooper's got a _thang _for you, Allie." She said, grinning, but I could tell she was... suspicious or something.

I didn't say anything. I felt like I was going into shock.

Weirdly, the thing was... I wasn't... weirded out by Chad... complimenting me. Actually, now that I thought about it, after shock, I'd been... happy. Like, the way you felt when a hot guy flirted with you.

Which was on the same level of _WTF _as Chad blurting a compliment in the first place. Also, what was it he'd said...? _You have the advantage_.

Did that mean he found how I looked... distracting?

Why was I even thinking about it this way?

"Allie? Allie!" Tawni's sharp voice, and Grady's hand waving in front of my face brought me back to myself suddenly.

"What?" I asked casually.

"Does he like you... _that_ way?" Nuh uh. Nooo. Compliment or not... we were just friends.

Best friends.

"Not that I know of. I mean, I seriously doubt it..." I tripped over my words a little. It was strangely hard to deny the fact of my best friend... _fancying _me.

"More important, do you like _him_?" Nico demanded.

"No... no, definitely not. I definitely don't have those sorts of feelings for him!"

Was it only to my own ears I sounded like I was desperate when I denied this?

"Well then, why'd you flirt with him?" Zora demanded.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on. Me. Flirt with Chad?" I squeaked.

"Um, _yeah_. As soon as he was all 'you're pretty!' you were basically vibing the whole 'come and get me!' thing! Like... Like you _wanted _him to chase after you. You didn't realize you were doing it?"

Okay, first I get a weird high from the almost-flirty compliment from my _best friend_. The I get told I was unconsciously flirting back with my _best friend_?

These people do not know me at _all_.

I set my shoulders.

"Okay, let's get this straight." I said coldly. Nico and Grady sat back in shock. Zora hissed at me in irritation- weird child that she is. But Tawni just gazed at me like I was a mildly entertaining programme. "I do not _'like' _Chad. Chad does not '_like_' me. And who are you all to make judgments? It's not like y'all hang with him much. And you can't just _say_ I'm flirting with him, that I like him. You've barely known me for a month! So excuse me, I'm going to my dressing room to get ready for rehearsal. I'll see you all _later_."

And once again, I stormed off, after giving my new friends a fight... because of Chad. Why did we cause so many problems together?

**CPOV**

"DO YOU LIKE HER?" Devon yelled at me.

"No!" I yelled, trying to get it through all their _thick_ skulls. They'd been yelling the same sort of questions at me for the past ten minutes. I'd denied any 'like-like'ing

of m'best friend.

So what if I had suddenly noticed she was _extremely_ pretty? It just made me conscious I may need to protect her from different kinds of things I'd defended her from before. Creeps rather than bullies. Heartbreak from relationships rather than heartache because of death and mean friends. Right? Yeah, let's go with that theory.

Because there was no way I could be _attracted_ to my best friend. That would just be... awkward.

Right?

After several more minutes, I seemed to convince everyone that I didn't have 'feelings' for m'best friend.

Everyone, it later turned out, but Portlyn.

I was sitting in my dressing room, messing with my hair. (Yes, I work on my hair. Part of being Hollywood is being obsessed with yourself. So what?) When she stormed in.

"What do you want?" I yelled in an instant.

"Answers." She said darkly. (**And I just had a random urge to write Sonny's rant about Mack Falls from FFTF part 1, but that would end with a weird situation)**

"To what?"

"To how you really feel about Allison!" Momentarily forgetting she didn't use the name, I corrected her.

"Sonny." I muttered, before realizing my mistake.

"See. You call her by a flipping nickname! Not even her friends call her that!" Then I said yet another automatic reaction. And made another really big mistake.

"Her mom does. So does-" I shut up, seeing Portlyn's face and realizing what I was saying.

"I... I mean..."

"How do you know what her _mom_ calls her? Chad? Have you been to her _house_?" She demanded, looking amazed and horrified.

Gosh. Why did it _matter _so much? At times like this, I wished I could go back and be a normal teen in Texas.

"No. I haven't." I said firmly. Only the fact that she actually lived in an apartment saved the lie from being obvious.

After another long confrontation, Portlyn left. I knew she didn't believe me. Heck, privately, I barely believed _myself_.

**Both POV**

I couldn't have feelings for my best friend...

Could I?

**A/N Okay, so that was... dramatic, yeah? A anonymous reviewer called randomsmileyperson said in a review a couple of chapters ago that more CHANNY was needed. So now, the idea is planted. Ha! Hope you liked it, guys.**

**Review pleeease!**

**Nangelgirl x**


	19. Awkward Channy Moments aka ACMs

**A/ Dedications to iluvchanny13 for reviewing like thousands of times and PMing me, to MiiMyselfandTime for coming up with ACMs xD you crack me up! And also to past decembers for PMing with me. It was nice to talking to you, guys :)**

Chapter 20

Awkward Channy Moments

SPOV

So every time any of my cast saw Chad, they started going all weird. It made me feel awkward. Which made me mad- wasn't the whole thing between me and my best friend awkward enough? Not that they knew that he was my best friend... their teasing was mixed in with veiled threats of what would happen if we _did_ get together. I shuddered. Just then, my phone buzzed.

_Can we talk? Chad x_

I frowned. What was he doing, making an appointment? Maybe the incident had affected him more than I'd realized.

_Of course. Since when do you need permission? Sonny x_

I sent that, then slid my phone into my pocket quickly as I felt Tawni's eyes on me. I met her suspicious blue eyes without blinking. I ignored my phone buzzing- I was determined not to give her any fuel to make fun of me or to get properly suspicious. Wasn't what had already happened enough? I stared her down, then simply got up and walked out, pulling my phone out as I went.

_Just meet me at the private room at lunch, k? Chad_

_See ya then, worry guts. Sonny x_

He didn't reply to that, and I made my way to rehearsal before I was late. For once, the hours seemed to go agonizingly slowly, which surprised me- rehearsals were usually quick and fun. As soon as Marshall announced we could leave, I all but ran out. I had a feeling my cast had conspired to keep me from talking to Chad, and I had no intention of letting them corner me like they had the past few days. I slipped out quickly, running quietly. I had the way to this room memorized- no one but me and Chad seemed to know about it. It was like our new monkey bars- another place we had 'first' met.

I didn't bother knocking on the door.

"Hey, Goldie," I greeted, knowing he was already there.

"Sup, Sonbeam?" He replied, grinning.

I sat down on the couch, and felt its weight sink as he jumped over the back and landed beside me.

"Am I the only one getting the feeling our casts are now conspiring against us?" I asked, voicing my suspicions.

"Nah. Mine have been basically dragging me around the past few days. You?"

"Same. They seriously seem to think we have feelings for each other!" At this we both burst out laughing, but it all sounded pretty forced. Our eyes met and soon the hysterical giggled died down as we stared into each others eyes. Subconsciously I leaned forward, then blinked suddenly, realizing what I was doing.

What the heck?

Were we having a... moment?

Nah, that's just the awkward talking **(if only she knew... xD)**

I leaned back, smiling slightly. I put my chin in my hand and leaned on one elbow, crossing one leg over the other.

"Sooo, why'd we need to meet so urgently?" I asked lightly. Chad immediately went from grinning goofily to grimacing slightly. He stared down at his fancy shoes and started fiddling with his tie.

"" He mumbled, still fiddling.

"What?"

"I said... We need ," He repeated.

"What?" Stop mumbling, dude. Man up!

"WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED DAYS AGO!" He practically yelled, finally looking me in the face, before blood rushed to his cheeks and his gaze dropped to the toes of my scuffed Converse.

It dawned on me just how awkward this conversation could turn out to be. I was practically Jasper Hale and Edward Cullen when it came to Chad; I could tell he was embarrassed, swallowing his pride, and that he was praying it wouldn't get _too_ awkward. Because our friendship was important, like it or not, secret or not.

So I did my Sonny thing, read my best friend like a book, and tried to make it all less... awkward.

"Oh, yeah. What about it?" I asked nonchalantly. Like it wasn't a big deal. Like I didn't smile whenever I thought of his confused, wistful eyes whenever he blurted his backhanded compliment/complaint. Oh, yeah. None of that mattered right? It was just my... teenage girl-ism. Yes. That was it...

"I... um... I'm..." He stuttered. This was so weird. My Chad was stuttering. Um... 'my' as in 'my best friend'

...

I suddenly became conscious of just _how_ embarrassed he was. It was like have the 'talk' with his parents all over again... a conversation you _have _to have to stop it hanging over your head, but you still really, _really_ would rather do anything else.

With this in mind, I put a hand on his arm. (**I am currently filing my nails so they're all nice and pretty... just thought I'd let you know xD)**

"Chad. You _know_ you can tell me anything, okay?" I said softly. He nodded, then hesitantly met my eyes. He smiled just a little, but it was an improvement from his embarrassed grimace. I smiled back, trying to put him at ease enough to _talk_ to me.

He just kind of watched me nervously... I'd never _seen_ him like this! So I did what had always worked when we were kids... played him.

Okay, that sounds bad. But when you're a girl and have a guy best friend, feelings or _not_, (obviously not in our case) you can twist him around your finger, to an extent.

I let my mouth slip into a pout, and looked him in the eye shyly.

"_Please_, Chaddy..." I said, not moving my hand from his arm. His eyes went a little wide, and his mouth fell open. I tried not to smile.

_Mission success!_

"Well... you know how I sorta... kinda... said you were pretty?"

"Yes," Oh, my gosh, he's not going to tell me I'm actually hideous is he? That would be... crap, to say the least.

He glanced up at me, and I realized my hand was still on his arm.

I moved my arm away automatically, trying not to think about it too much.

"Okay..." He swallowed, playing with the collar of his shirt. "Well, Sonny, I can't deny that I said that, and I also can't deny that it's... true." I stared at him silently. I couldn't say a word, but my mind was thinking _it's not true, idiot!_

He met my eyes for a second before looking down.

"It's true, don't go all insecure on me. You are an _extremely _pretty girl." At this, my mouth fell open.

"But, Sonny, I do not have... those sort of feelings for you. I know I've probably made it sound like I do, but I don't. I _don't_." That didn't hurt right? I was completely relieved. There _wasn't_ just the tiniest little pinprick of hurt...

Yeah, that little pinprick was my inner insecure teenage girl. The rest of me was relieved. Yeah... I nodded, and was finally able to speak.

"I _think _I understand..." He gave me a crooked smile, and I couldn't help returning it, though my reactions were a little slow. Suddenly, all his awkward fell away, as he realized it was true- I _did_ understand.

"It's just... okay, you read in the magazine that I date a lot of girls, right?" I nodded. Where was he going with this?

"Well, it's sort of automatic for me to look at girls that way... if she'd pretty, it _is_ distracting," He grimaced again. "After four years of dating on looks alone. Ugh," He shuddered.

"Why do you do it, Chad?" I asked tentatively. He snorted derisively.

"Because my manager thought it was good for publicity. He wasn't wrong; it is. A lot of spotlight it kept on me, and it's part of Chad Dylan Cooper to _love_ the spotlight," He mumbled the last part bitterly. My heart swelled with sympathy. I reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes gently.

"But _I _know the truth..." I said softly. He met my eyes, curious. "Chad Dylan Cooper is a fictional character. The _real_ Chad is Chad Goldfarb, and he's awesome, funny, a little arrogant, sweet, and has a best friend by the name of Allison Munroe... also known as Sonny," I gave him a huge grin, which he returned. All of the awkwardness and embarrassment was gone- we were Chad and Sonny again, best friends, and completely there for each other.

"Yeah." Chad whispered. "And Chad Goldfarb's best friend Sonny is great too. She's pretty, sweet, smart and lovely." He said, smiling sweetly at me. I beamed at him.

"Fine," I breathed automatically.

"Fine,"

"Good,"

"Good." We were both giggling a little now, the sweet best friend thing still hanging in the air. Chad leaned forward and put his hand on mine, where it rested on my knee.

"So are we good?" He asked me. I smiled, turning my hand to face up and intertwining our fingers.

"We're _so_ good," I whispered.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

"Where have you been?" Tawni asked. She didn't sound mad... yet. And Tawni scared me when she was mad. I had no intention of being locked in our dressing room until the wee hours of the morning again. (**Lol. The wee hours xD)** I shrugged lightly.

"Nowhere, really. I was just wandering around... even after over a month here, I can't quite get used to how _big_ it is,"

Tawni rolled her eyes. "_Farm girls_," She muttered. I grinned brightly. Little does she know.

Zora rolled through the door. Literally. Was she taking lessons from Chad?

"Um... Zora? What... exactly are you doing...?" I asked.

"I'm perfecting my ninja skills," She said, grinning.

Was it only to me that sounded like a Zora-threat? I started backing away slowly in case she ninja attacked me. "Why...?"

She gave her evil little grin.

"I'm asking Marshall if we can do a ninja, duh!" Zora said, like it was obvious. I breathed silent breath of relief. Not silent enough for Zora, typically.

"Chillax, Allie. You're a good friend. I'm not gonna ninja chop you," She said, laughing at me. I shook my head in amazement.

"Thanks, Zora,"

"Anytime!" And with that, she did a tuck and roll back out the door. I considered telling her we had rehearsal in five minutes, but I decided against it. The thought of her going ninja on me... Ugh.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

_One week later_

The whole 'Chad and Sonny like each other rumour!' was finally starting to die down. Thank goodness. Chad and I were past the little awkward stage, and I'd been hanging at his house every night for the past week, until my mom told me to come home because I kept *cough* forgetting about my curfew.

You know what's great about best friends? You have all this secret sign language and secret codes that no one understands but the two of you. Chad and I are like that. It's extremely helpful when your best friend is supposed to be your greatest enemy, and those enforcing the 'greatest enemy' business have a bad habit of stealing your phone and sticking their noses in your text messages. Chad and I keep up an impressive act while we're at the studios. A conversation interpreted can go something like this (T for translation, if you're interested);

S: WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE COOPER?

T: Hi, Goldie.

C: I could ask _you_ the _same_ thing!

T: Sup, Munroe?

S: I wanted fro-yo, not to see your annoying, arrogant face!

T: I wanted fro-yo and was hoping I would bump into you!

C: Well maybe I wanted the same thing!

**(no translation needed for that one, eh?)**

S: Ugh, why can't there be _two_ fro-yo machines, _far_ away from each other?

T: I'm so glad there's only one fro-yo machine that's close to both of us

C: Ugh, why do you need fro-yo? You'll make yourself even uglier

T: I know you need fro-yo. And you _are_ pretty, stop being insecure.

It was amazing how much we understood each other, even though years had passed. Whenever we were in the cafeteria, we gave little hand signals and expressions. It was hilarious if they were completely irrelevant, and then someone caught us.

_*Flashback*_

"_And then, and then, I realized... it was Mocha Cocoa Mocha, not Cocoa Mocha Cocoa!" Tawni said dramatically, nearly in tears. We were ignoring our ick on a plate, and Zora had dared her to tell her most traumatic story. Snort._

_Anyways, my attention had drifted, and Chad had caught my eye. Soon, I was caught up in an epic retelling of the hilarious fights the Mack Falls girls had got into. This involved Chad doing some _very_ camp poses and expressions. Tawni looked at me, just as I had turned my head to stick my tongue out at him. Then she yelled at me for not paying attention to her 'scarring' story, and I internally prayed a thankful prayer that she hadn't looked five minutes ago when I was impersonating her having a freak out over Cocoa Mocha Cocoa, which Chad and I both found extremally entertaining._

_Whew... another close call. Which we had a laughing fit about later._

_*End Flashback*_

I headed to rehearsal. Zora actually got there before me, and we got started rehearsing next weeks show.

Barely five minutes in though, a voice sounded over the inter-com,

_Would the casts of Mackenzie Falls and So Random! please report to Mr Condor's office, thank you_

We all shared a glance. If Mack Falls were involved, it meant _something_ was up. We started to leave quickly, but Tawni's bag was behind mine, and as she yanked it along with her, it pulled mine off the table. Everything spilled out, and I cussed internally.

"You guys go on, I'll catch up," I told them, waving my hand vaguely.

They agreed, and so I arrived over five minutes after everyone else.

When I finally got there (praying Mr Condo wouldn't fire me, I might add) everyone else was there; all of Mack Falls, all of So Random! Why was this bad? Well for one thing...

There were no seats left. M'kay, that makes me sound like a drama queen, but first, I hate standing up when I don't have to. It's... ugh. And second, when it comes to Mr Condor, everyone knows other people standing in his office irritates him. So I'd have to sit on the floor... yay...

Chad caught my eye and shot me a quick, sympathetic hand sign. I shrugged in response. Then Mr Condor turned around.

"Why are you standing?" He snapped at me. Uh oh, time to think on my feet!

"Um... there's no seats left... sir," I said, struggling to show him the proper respect. I'd barely ever talked to the man.

"Very well then. Sit."

"Sir...?"

He turned and pointed towards Chad.

"Sit. His lap. Now." Mr Condor barked, then turned around in his chair like it was normal to order a teenage girl to sit in the lap of a teenage boy she 'hated'. Especially when PDA was banned in his office (**and I finally worked out what PDA means. Yay me.)**

Everyone turned to look at the two of us, while our eyes met, with shocked expressions. After about ten seconds of piercing silence, Tawni signalled I do as Mr Condor told me to.

Great, just great. No, it wasn't Chad I was worried about; we were best friends, I'd actually sat there plenty of times when I was smaller. It was everyone else I was worried about. I moved, wary and reluctantly, towards him. I sat myself down gingerly, and I could see the Mack Falls guys sniggering, the Mack Falls _girls_ giving me the evils, and my cast giving me half-sympathetic, half-annoyed looks. At least, that was until Mr Condor called their attention back. I relaxed against my best friends chest, and he slipped his arms around my waist- it was more comfortable that way, and 'cause nobody was paying attention. I put my feet up on the back of Skylar's chair, and my knees blocked the view of my waist.

"Right, so I've decided the lot of you _fight_ too much," Mr Condor yelled, glaring at us as he turned. Everyone turned to look at Chad and I, even though we must've looked like a flipping couple right now. Even though we're not and... Mr Condor made me sit here!

"So," He continued, rubbing his hands together evilly. Is it possible for someone to be more evil than Zora? Well, it is now. (By the way, Zora scares the crap out of me- she's brilliant, I love her!) "I've decided you all need another little _bonding_ exercise!" He announced, still looking evil. Especially now that he was grinning. I mean... ugh.

We all stared at him in fear. Chad's arms tightened around my waist.

"So... you're all going to take part in a karaoke competition! All of you are doing solos-" Everyone let out a breath of relief, because as scary as a solo was, the other option was very likely to be working with someone from the other side. Then Condor uttered his next words... "-except for Chad and Allison,"

"WHAT!" We yelled at the same time. Everyone turned towards us, and we probably still looked weird, as we were both too comfy to move out of our positions.

"Yes. As you two fight the most, you two are being picked to do a duet!" And at this, he laughed evilly. Like, the whole 'mu-wahahaha' shebang. (**iluvchanny13, our PMing tonight inspired that xD and remember, Chad's getting it!)**]

We stared at him numbly. And both our casts giggled a little, but mostly looked very, very worried.

Oh, what mess had we got into now?

And for the name of all that is awkward, why'd me and Chad have to stand up and forget that his arms really shouldn't have been around my waist?

**A/N So there's chapter 20! I am soo, SOO incredibly sorry for not updating for a whole week. I was up to my eyes in coursework, then I was spending some quality time with my one of my best friend's and her family. So, forgive me? Review pleeease!**

**Nangelgirl x**


	20. Hit Rewind

**A/N Okay, so due to my lovely reviewer past decembers, I've been inspired to start writing this chapter, number 21 already! She just gave me an absolutely brilliant idea, and I wanted to get started! So of course, all credit and dedications go to past decembers, for being amazing. Oh, and check out her stories Ten Minutes and Into the Sky, kay? Awesomeness! Now let's look at what Chad was thinking during Chapter 20...**

Chapter 21

Hit Rewind, Let's Do It in Chad's Way!

After basically _flirting_ with my best friend in front of everyone a few days ago, my cast had been all over me. Especially Portlyn.

*Flashback*

"_Chad!" My cast screamed, storming in. I was hiding in my dressing room an hour after the embarrassing incident, and my face was still bright red._

"_Okay, I'm gonna answer your questions before you start screaming at me, because I'm awesome and you're all way too predictable," I snapped._

"_First, NO, I do not have a crush on So-Allison. She's a Random." And my best friend. "Ewww. Second, I called her pretty because she is pretty, and it would be useless denying it, Randomite or not. And third, no, NO we cannot have a plotline which involves a new guest character that is named after one of the Randoms getting killed." They all shot me weird looks. "What? I'm not deaf, and none of you can whisper very quietly." I informed them, then threw them out._

_And of course, Portlyn came storming back in ten minutes later. I groaned._

"_Get OUT, Port!" _

"_No. You and that Random... there's _something _going on. I don't particularly care what it is... what I care about is that you're lying to us, Chad."_

_And with that, she picked herself up and stomped off, slamming the door after her_.

*Flashback ends*

Ugh. The whole thing made me blush. Sonny was my best friend. Even during the years she wasn't there, she was the whole reason I went on. The reason for _every_ good thing. Telling my mom to dump her loser husband. _Nah, what would Sonny say?_ Firing my whole cast just for being irritating. _No, what would Son say if she knew?_ Living life. _Sonny wouldn't want you to give up Chad. She'd want you to follow through life. You promised Chad, you promised._

So, basically, my conscious came in the form of Sonny Munroe. Yes, I was that suckered by her. Isn't life a joy? It's hard to explain that someone's got you completely wrapped around their pinkie finger without being related to them or in love with them, but I, Chad Goldfarb, managed it.

So being in an awkward situation with her was bad. I couldn't go without talking to her... I'd gone back to relying on her faster than should've been possible. So there was only one thing for it; break out and meet in the secret room for a long, awkward talk. Yaaaay.

(**Haha, I made him say yay.)**

I couldn't face walking up to her and saying 'we need to talk'- not only would that be weird, it'd alert the Randoms. No, to me, Sonny wasn't a Random. She was simply Sonny. So instead, I pulled my phone out of my pocket as I walked onto set. I could feel some eyes on me (Portlyn, Katrina and Skylar probably- my behaviour relating to Sonny freaked them out.)

_Can we talk? Chad x_

I sent that, and set it down on the table, waiting anxiously for a reply. I always seemed to sign off with an x. But it was Sonny. Adding an x was normal and nice. My phone started singing the chorus of 'In Fate's Hands' by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and I dived for it.

_Come close to me, and don't you fake it..._ It belted out, and I shut it off before the screaming part started. (**I absolutely looove that song.)** I changed my phone to vibrate, then read my message from Sonny.

_Of course. Since when do you need permission? Sonny x_

She actually had a point. All this awkwardness was making me _polite_. Usually it'd go something like, 'Yo, Sonny, come talk to me! Chad x'

I shuddered. There wasn't really a reply I could think of to her question, because I didn't know. Ugh.

_Just meet me at the private room at lunch, k? Chad_

Well, that sounded desperate. But she'd understand. Sonny _always_ understood- everything I didn't say as well as all that I did say. I appreciated that.

_See ya then, worry guts. Sonny x_

Oh, so now she was making fun of me, too. Joy. The difference was I knew she was being playful, not spiteful. But I still didn't reply, and I don't think she expected me to. That's what I loved about he- our friendship. She knew when I needed her, when I needed space, and when I needed to battle her at Call of Duty. That kinda thing.

A part of my mind was almost dreading talking to her, even despite all her understanding. That was the part of me that had proclaimed her pretty and started this whole thing. The part of me that had started to notice little things, the way I catalogued and chose who next to date. How her long eyelashes brushed against her face, how her eyes were the exact shade of milk chocolate, how those eyes sparkled when she laughed...

But it was all just automatic. There weren't really any _romantic_ feelings for her. So because of my dread, rehearsals zoomed past and before I knew it, Katrina was letting us go for lunch. I glanced up and saw the whole clique that was my cat fast approaching; so neatly and casually, I turned and walked quickly out of the backdoor, and got to the private room in less than ten minutes. I felt the need to be there before her.

I walked in, and sure enough there was no one there. I knew her rehearsal usually ran on, and Katrina had let us out early, I think. Oh well. It gave me more time to mentally prepare myself. I sat down at the table (which was a lot like a randomly placed dining table, except the only people to ever eat in here ate while sitting on the couch *cough*) and tried to think of what to say. I'm a brilliant actor, but I have to be honest when it comes to her. And honesty is darn hard.

I head the door open.

"Hey, Goldie," She sang out casually. Hee hee. She recognises my presence.

"Sup, Sonbeam?" I responded, using one of the many nicknames for her nickname.

I watched her sit down on the couch, completely at ease. I grinned, and walked over, then swung my legs over the back of the couch and landing beside her. (**I'm watching EastEnder's right now! Thank goodness, Ronnie gave Kat's baby back. I feel sorry for her though. It's a heartbreaker storyline)**

"Am I the only one getting the feeling our casts are now conspiring against us?" She whined at me. I smiled at the irony, realizing it wasn't only my cast all but locking me into my dressing room between rehearsals.

"Nah. Mine have been basically dragging me around the past few days. You?"

"Same. They seriously seem to think we have feelings for each other!" She started giggling, and even though it wasn't her usual infectious laugh, I couldn't help joining in, even if I didn't seem to find it all quite as funny as she did. Our eyes locked and the laughter died in my throat, as I felt myself falling and staring into her eyes. We both started to lean in... then suddenly, the weird connection was broken, and Sonny jerked backwards, blinking rapidly in shock.

And, man, not nearly as shocked as I felt.

I pulled myself together, though, as she smiled lightly and crossed her legs. How can that girl go from one emotion to another so easily? In fact, how can teenage girls in general do that? I suddenly remembered she was waiting for an answer, and my grin slipped from my face and mouth went dry. I tried to look up, but my hands moved of their own accord and I started fiddling with my tight tie, and staring down at the uncomfortable shoes I'm always forced to wear during work.

"," I said, unable to talk loudly or clearly. I mentally groaned as she answered.

"What?"

"I said we need totalkaboutwhathappenedaysago," My voice started out strong, but I faltered at the end again. I could feel my humiliation radiating off in waves.

"What?" She asked again. I could feel her getting a little anxious.

"WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED DAYS AGO!" I yelled. I immediately felt bad; Sonny was like glass. Hurt her, and she would break pretty easily.

Of course, there's a part of me that's always underestimated her. And that part of me didn't realize just how strong she's grown in the past years. Back then, she would've flinched, and depending on her mood, maybe cried. She could be a delicate little girlie-girl, and took that approach to how she felt rather than the tough tomboy side she sometimes showed. But, as didn't dare look up, I heard her calm, casual voice.

"Sure. What about it?" Her voice penetrated my train of though nonchalantly. Yes, in the past few years, she had grown stronger. Stopped shattering at a little pain. And she had more of a tomboy side, too. The last time I had seen her, she only wore jeans if it was absolutely pouring with rain, and even then she didn't like it- she was more a sundresses and skirts kinda girl. But now all she wears in jeans and Converse, Converse and jeans. I realized I'd gotten lost in my thoughts again, and I couldn't think of a single thing to say.

"I... um... I'm..." Yes, that was the extent of it. _Stuttering_. Reduced to stuttering over a stupid awkward moment. I saw concern cloud her brown eyes, and she leaned forward and touched my arm gently. Warmth shot through my arm, from my shoulder to my fingertips. Which is _obviously_ how I knew I didn't have proper feelings for her... because no one, out of all the- don't mind me saying this- _extremely_ hot girls I'd dated, none had ever given me that feeling. So- all the girls I'd liked never gave me that feeling, and Sonny _did_ obviously I didn't _like_ her. Yeah...

"Chad. You _know_ you can tell me anything, okay?" She whispered. I glanced up at her uneasily. I didn't know where to begin.

Now, I must really be starting to sound like an idiot. The obvious answer is, "Man up, dude, it's your best mate! Tell her what you both know and get it over with," But for me, it wasn't quite so simple. I knew, that if I said this all wrong, Sonny would get the image that she was hideous (which she isn't) and that I hate her (which I don't) and the reason I 'hate' her is because she'll never ever be good enough. Which she always, _always_ will.

All such thoughts flooded out of my head, as she looked thoughtful for a moment, and then she started pouting, her lips trembling, like she was trying not to cry. My heart clenched in my chest, and my eyes went huge. She looked up and met my eyes again, and I nearly choked. She looked so... _sad_. She tightened her hand on my arm a little.

"_Please_, Chaddy..." She begged, and my mouth fell open, and the desperation to stop hurting her caused the needed words to form in my head.

"Well... you know how I sorta... kinda... said you were pretty?" I asked, then regretted my choice of words as worry crossed her face. I cringed internally and looked down. It was obvious she thought I was going to tell her she was horrifically hideous or something.

"Yes," She murmured. I glanced up to get another good look at her face, and she seemed to start a little, and removed her warm hand from my arm. The truth formed its words in my head.

"Okay... Well, I can't deny that I said that," Get it all out, dude, you sound like your denying it...! "And I also can't deny that it's... true." This was hard to say. She truly was an absolutely beautiful girl, and that made me want to protect her. Especially from Hollywood madness. If she went all anorexic... well, it'd be up to me to stop her.

I looked up to see her reaction, and her mouth was hanging open, and I could see the rebellion in her eyes. I sighed.

"It's true, don't go all insecure on me," I insisted, seeing the fight in her eyes (**Seventeen Ain't So Sweet by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus reference...)**

Now, to beat down the rumours.

"But, Sonny, I do not have... those sort of feelings for you. I know I've probably made it sound like I do, but I don't. I _don't_." I felt relieved to get that out. It _was_ the truth after all. But at the same time, it didn't feel like I was telling her the whole truth. Which was weird, because I was. She screwed her face up, thinking hard.

"I _think_ I understand," She said uncertainly. I could hear the wheels turning in her head. She still looked thoughtful. I suppose, with another person, I would've gotten frustrated. But this was Sonny, my best friend. She could tell when I was lying nearly 100% of the time. I knew I had to explain more deeply, so that all feelings were clear.

"Well, it's sort of automatic for me to look at girls that way... if she'd pretty, it _is_ distracting." I pulled a face at the... the... heartbreaker part of me. I picked up girls and dropped them just as easily. "After four years of dating on looks alone. Ugh," I shivered, thinking of the many, many horrible- but hot- girls I'd gone out with.

"Why do you do it, Chad?" She asked me, looking me square in the face. All the awkwardness had pretty much dissipated.

I explained the boring story of my publicist's crappy ideas, how I'd gone along with them and how much I hated it. She was the perfect audience; groaning and being sympathetic in all the right places.

Then she surprised me by playing with my hair, brushing the bangs (**is that the right word? I'm not American)** out of my eyes. I smiled. She always used to do that.

"But _I _know the truth..." She whispered sweetly. I looked up at her, surprised all over again. What was she talking about? "Chad Dylan Cooper is a fictional character," She informed me, grinning confidently. "The _real_ Chad is Chad Goldfarb, and he's awesome, funny, a little arrogant, sweet, and has a best friend by the name of Allison Munroe... also known as Sonny," She smiled hugely at me, and a huge grin spread across my face as I took in her words, touched. Sonny had a way of making me feel like a completely decent person- something Chad Dylan Cooper was not. I felt the need to respond.

"Yeah." I murmured, realising just how lucky I was to have her. "And Chad Goldfarb's best friend Sonny is great too." I hesitated, then took the risk and told her exactly what I thought of her. "She's pretty, sweet, smart and lovely." I finished, and she beamed brightly at me.

"Fine," She mumbled, still gazing into my eyes with a silly grin. I responded automatically.

"Fine,"

"Good," She said, and it was like the old 'fine, good,' speeches; a best friend ritual rather than a screaming fight.

"Good." She was giggling now, and I couldn't help but ask the question; one that would answer whether we were over the awkwardness, and if we were still bestest best friends, as I used to call us. (**Awww, baby Chad reference 3)**

"So are we good?" I rested my hand on hers, and smiled softly as she took my hand.

"We are _so_ good," She said softly, and I was the happiest I'd been all week.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

(**Oh my crap. My compute decided to restart itself. Thank goodness for auto-recover, it meant I only lost a short paragraph!)**

I was in a great mood all week. Sonny had hung out at my house until she was kicked out- she used to leave when Charles came home, but not any more. I loved how she dealt with Charles- polite and condescending. Charles didn't like her much- but my family _adores_ her, so he couldn't ban her from my life or anything. Not that he'd be able to do that, anyway. We'd just flip him (**as in give him the finger)** and meet at the studios. And in less that a year, I'd be eighteen and he wouldn't control me anymore. I'd be home free.

Anyway, everyone was weird about my good mood. And by everyone I mean my cast. Sonny was happy that I was happy, and I was happy because she was happy about my happiness. (**Confused? Me too.)**

Then, the most dreaded thing for a Condor Studio's actor came on; a call to Mr Condor's office. Our whole cast, and all the Randoms. And Sonny, of course. But she's not a Random in my eyes.

We walked in, and the Randoms were already there. What caught my attention (and panicked me slightly) was the fact that there was no Sonny. No Sonny? Was she sick? Had Charles killed her? Wouldn't put it past him...

I translated my worry into a sarcastic comment.

"Yo, Randoms, where's the new girl? Has she realized she's on a crap show and left?" I asked, forcing a smirk to my lips. They took the bait.

"_No_, Cooper, for your information, she dropped her bag and had to pick her stuff up. Being the _nice, considerate_ person she is, she told us to go on ahead," Tawni snapped at me, glaring. I stifled a laugh. Typical Sonny. She was so clumsy sometimes. And still extremely nice to anyone within a mile radius.

Just then, the girl herself came crashing through the door. Ah, no seats left, poor girl. I signed sympathetically at her, and she just shrugged, before Condor turned around.

"Why are you standing?" He practically yelled in her face. My shoulders stiffened. _No one_ should get away with screaming at my Sonshine.

"Um, there's no seats left, sir?" I love Sonny. I mean, uhm, Sonny's my best friend. She's hilarious at dealing with bossy psychos.

"Very well then. Sit." He demanded. I could see she was as confused as anyone else. (**When I first typed confused, I mistyped and it said Sonfused, lol! Okay, ignore me, it's nearly midnight and I'm talking crap)**

"Sir...?" Sonny asked. Well done Sonny, most people would just stand there like an idiot. Mr Condor turned and did a very scary thing. He pointed at _me_. Uh oh.

"Sit. His lap. Now." He said, almost boredly. I nearly had a heart attack. I was cool with her sitting on me, but everyone else was gonna skin us alive. There was an awkward silence, before she made her way over and slid into my lap. Thankfully, the boss man yelled for attention before anyone could comment. Without thinking, I slipped my arms around her waist. I needed her, and she felt like she was going to slide off anyway. She put her feet up on the back of Skylar's chair. I tried not to laugh.

"Right, so I've decided the lot of you _fight_ too much," Mr Condor yelled, glaring at us as he turned. Everyone turned to look at Chad and I, even though we must've looked like a flipping couple right now. Even though we're not and... Mr Condor made me sit here!

"So," Condor barked, looking at us all angrily. I don't think he's ever actually not angry, even when he's smiling. Except maybe when Dakota's around... Eww. "I've decided you all need another little _bonding_ exercise!" He announced, smiling. Which was terrifying.

"So... you're all going to take part in a karaoke competition! All of you are doing solos, except for Chad and Allison," He said, totally shocking me and Sonny.

"WHAT?" We yelled in shock. We weren't displeased, after all, we're best friends! Then again, all our cast members needed to believe we were mad. Sonny didn't leap off my lap to protest, and I couldn't be bothered moving my arms. She even kept her feet up, so when everyone turned to stare at us, we looked completely unnatural.

"Yes. As you two fight the most," Ha, suckers. We're best friends actually! "You two are being picked to do a duet!" Hm. Me and Sonny singing... together? Interesting. We were still shocked, though. And the scary thing is, Condor found it funny. So funny, in fact, he threw his head back and laughed. I'd never seen him laugh before. It was disturbing. Me and Sonny stood up at the same time, and shocked as I was, I forgot to remove my arms from around her.

Just before our casts turned and saw us, she whispered in my ear.

"Scream!"

And then our casts saw us, standing close with my arms wrapped around her. There was a long second of silence, which was broken by Mr Condor slamming the door and leaving us alone to face their wrath.

Oh, joy.

They all started yelling, and Tawni was loudest.

"What the heck?"

Sonny struggled free of my arms. She turned to look me in the face, and her back was to our cast mates. She winked subtlety at me before going.

"WHAT THE HECK?"

And then I understood. By 'scream' she meant keep yelling at each other so that no one could hear the words. She's a smart one.

So immediately, we began arguing, which soon rose to a scream, until Tawni screamed herself.

"SILENCE!" She shrieked, and we shut up and turned to look at her, surprised.

Nico and Grady strode forwards and grabbed Sonny roughly by the arms, and away from me. Everyone glared at me; no one saw as Sonny mouthed 'Good luck!' at me.

The Randoms all ran in front of Sonny, and I realized I was the one getting blamed. To them, Sonny was a 'victim'.

"Leave her alone," Zora hissed at me. They all stalked towards me, slowly, until Tawni broke ranks and ran forward and grabbed my arm. What the-

SMACK!

Tawni slapped me around the face.

(**iluvchanny13, told you he'd get it!)**

I staggered back in shock. Tawni got in my face.

"She's _ours,_ Chad. Not a Mack Falls girl, not a model. She's _ours_. So keep. Your. Hands. Off. Of. _Her_." She spat the last word in my face, and then they all stormed past me to the door, Nico shoving me deliberately with his shoulder. (**Like Dudley does to Harry near the start of the second Harry Potter movie!)**

The door slammed again behind them, leaving me with my castmates. They immediately began screaming at me as well, but I held up a hand and they shut up.

"I don't want to talk about it," I snapped, then slammed out the door myself, holding a hand to my stinging cheek.

**A/N So love it? Hate it? Like it? Strongly dislike it? Review! I had fun with this chapter. It's 00.11, and my dad's turned the internet off, so I'll upload this tomorrow... or later today I suppose. Later, guys! **

**Nangelgirl x**


	21. This Song

**A/N My internet is broken right now. So while I'm writing this, I don't know how long it'll be until I can actually upload :( Dedicated to randomsmileyperson for leaving a super long review :) I love getting things like that!**

Chapter 22

This Song

SPOV

After many, many nights of no sleep, I'd finally finished my song. (**The one that only had the chorus in chapter 16- lol)**

It was of course, dedicated to, and inspired by my best friend. I couldn't wait to play it for Chad. After all, he had written me a song. For my eleventh birthday. I smiled at the memory- we hadn't been able to be together on the day for my birthday, but the on the day, a package arrived in the post, containing a video. It was simply labelled 'Happy Birthday Sonny!' and when I played it; it was a video of him playing the song. One of the best presents ever!

So, after _weeks_, it was finally finished. I was very pleased with my work, for once; usually I hated my songs. But this one was my pride and joy. And for Chad.

At the end of lunch, just as I walked into the Prop House, I yanked out my phone.

_To: Chadday :P_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D _

_Hey, wanna hang at mine tonight? Gotta surprise and I refuse to give you it at your house :L xx_

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_From: Chadday :P_

_Sure. What is it? xx_

_To: Chadday :P_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_Ah buh bah! It's a surprise! xx_

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_From: Chadday :P_

_Pleeeeease? xx_

_To: Chadday :P_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_Haha, wait and see. My house, eight thirty? xx_

_To: Chadday :P_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_... Fine. xx_

The rest of the conversation was just 'fines!' and 'goods!' Ha. Good times.

So I was very excited; my song was hard work for once.

"Hey, Allie... do you have any plans for tonight?" Tawni asked me. Uh oh. Yes I did have plans, but Tawni couldn't exactly find out who with, could she?

"Um... yeah, actually." I said calmly, and got a little annoyed at the look of surprise across her face.

"Jeesh, Tawn, just because you never ask me to hang, doesn't mean the one time you _do_ ask me, I'll be free." I snapped, annoyed.

"Alright, then Allie. What plans do you _have_?" She snapped back. Oh, man. What to say?

"I'm... meeting with an old friend." A look of curiosity crossed her face. "No one you know, Tawn," Well, technically it was true. Chad Goldfarb was coming to visit me, and Tawni didn't know him.

"Hm. So why don't we all meet up?" She suggested impatiently. Whoa. She must be desperate!

"Uhm, sorry, Tawni, I just need a chance to be with them for a bit, y'know? Just me and my friend." She glanced up at me, looking a little hurt.

"Oh... okay then." She mumbled. I felt bad, but I hadn't spoken a word less than the truth... I shook the thoughts off.

"Anyway, it's the show tomorrow!" I said brightly. "We all need a good sleep." And with that, I skipped to our dressing room to change for afternoon rehearsals, the guilt weighing down my on my shoulders.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

_Knock, knock_.

I grinned, and Mom beat me to the door. She _loved_ Chad.

"Hello, Chad, honey!" I heard Mom greet him.

"Hi, Connie," He replied nicely.

"Sonny's just in her room. Do you want anything?" I rolled my eyes. Typical Mom. If she likes a guest, she fusses over them. Way, way too much.

"No, I'm good," Ha. He usually asks for coffee or something. He wants his surprise! Chad barged through my door, not bothering to knock.

"Hey!" I complained. "Don't you knock? What if I'd been changing or something?"

He opened his mouth to reply, then went a little pink in the face. I decided not to pursue whatever he'd been about to say... Dirty minded boy.

He ambled over and sat beside me on my bed, looking at me expectantly.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Recipe #1 for an annoyed Chad. Ask stupid questions. Recipe #2. Pretend you don't know what he's talking about. Recipe #3; combine 1 & 2. Irritated Chad is entertaining to watch. For me, anyways.

"Surprise?"

"What surprise?"

"The surprise you said you were gonna give me?" He was talking through clenched teeth now. Lol. This is fun.

I stared at him blankly.

"The one you refused to give me at my house...?" He practically growled at me. I made a scence of acting like I'd just realized something huge.

"Oh, _that_ surprise!" I exclaimed in mock victory.

"Yes, _that_ surprise," He imitated me. I raised my eyebrows.

"Want your surprise or not?" I asked. He immediately held his hands up in surrender.

"I'll be good!" He said, and I smiled.

"Good boy." I crawled along the floor over to my guitar case, and opened it, pulling my beautiful guitar and some (**non-existent)** sheet music out. He grinned.

"Oh, you're playing a song?" He asked.

"Correction. I _wrote_ a song," I smirked, then paused. "Actually... I wrote _you_ a song," I grinned at his expression, and then started strumming.

_I know what I said_

_All those years ago_

_But, I'm, gonna be honest here_

_And say_

_That I never really forgot, you_

_Cause after all that we'd been through_

_Didn't ever want to let you go_

_Though, you had run free_

"_Don't forget" was what you asked of me_

_So I lied, but I never really let you go_

_Oh, you know_

_With that first sight, of your face_

_All my memories_

_Hit back at a pace_

_Didn't know, what to say_

_What to do... about you_

_Cause after all that we'd been through_

_Didn't ever want to let you go_

_Though, you had run free_

"_Don't forget" was what you asked of me_

_So I lied, but I never really let you go_

_Oh, you know_

_**[Bridge]**_

_Yes I know_

_What I said_

_And my heart_

_Filled with dread_

_I wasn't sure_

_I didn't know_

_What to expect,_

_What to ignore_

_But after all these years_

_Of being alone_

_I was finally home_

_Cause after all (after all)_

_That we'd been through_

_I wasn't about (not a chance)_

_To let go of you_

_And you ran free (away from me)_

_But you were back (as was I)_

_I didn't forget (not about you)_

_So I told the truth_

_Said I'd never let go of you_

_Now you know_

_Oh, you know_

I finished the last note (which was hard, by the way) and opened my eyes to see a beaming Chad clapping for me. I smiled back at him, then realized with a start that he had tears in his eyes. I let go of my guitar and wiped his eyes.

"Did you like it?" I asked softly.

"No," He told me. My heart dropped. All that work-! "I _loved_ it!" He finished, grinning like crazy. (**Alright, that line is dedicated to every single one of you who said something like that in a review. I was reading through all my reviews, and there were actually quite a lot. They're soooo nice to get. Love y'all!)**

I felt a smile light up my face, and next thing I knew I was basically strangling him in a hug.

"Ah. You're my _best friend_," I mumbled into his shoulder.

"Same. Now, you know what we need to do?"

"What?" He smiled mischievously.

"We needa plan out our duet. Any ideas?" He asked, as I released him.

"Ugh... no, actually."

"Me either," He said, then his eyes lit up and I could practically hear the light bulb _ding_ above his head.

"What are you thinking?" I asked curiously. He pulled out his iPod.

"Let's see how similar our music tastes are..." He grinned, plugging his iPod into my speakers. He started fiddling with it, and next thing I knew, he thrust it into my hands. I his the _shuffle_ button, and flicked a few times. Immediately, an amazing song came on.

"Oh, my gosh! I love this song!" I yelled, getting up and dancing. Chad laughed and I yanked him to his feet. Pretty soon we were both singing (or yelling) the words along to the Rd Jumpsuit Apparatus's song 'Atrophy,' (**If you've never heard that song, listen to it. Actually, if you like music like Paramore and Flyleaf and Secondhand Serenade and such, you should like the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus!)**

Panting, Chad reached over and changed the song, just as it got to the bridge.

"Hey!" I yelled. He shrugged.

"We couldn't do that one, Son," He reminded me.

(**Now here's a song I'm considering changing the words to a little and actually considering using!)**

'Seventeen Ain't So Sweet' came blaring on. I grinned.

(Chad, _Sonny, _**Both**_)_

Well she never was the best

At following the trends

Stayed one step above the rest

And even though it seemed

Like the world was crashing on her  
Didn't let it hold her down  
Didn't hold her back oh no

Don't worry you'll show them

There's a fire in your eyes  
And I hope you'll let it burn  
There's a scream in your voice  
And I hope you will be heard  
There's a fire in your eyes  
And I hope you'll let it burn  
Until you're heard, you're heard  
  
_Seventeen is just a test  
Yeah and I would recommend  
That you live with no regrets  
And even if it seems  
_  
_Like the world is crashing on you  
You shouldn't let it hold you down  
Shouldn't hold you back oh no, woah oh_

Don't worry you'll show them

_There's a fire in your eyes  
And I hope you'll let it burn  
There's a scream in your voice  
And I hope you will be heard  
There's a fire in your eyes  
And I hope you'll let it burn  
Until you're heard, you're heard  
_  
Relax girl, turn down the lights  
No one can see you shining  
Relax girl, it'll be alright  
No one can stop you if you try  
  
_Point of rhythm is to follow it in time  
To listen to the beating in your mind  
Remember if you seek then you shall find  
_**Woah oh**

**There's a fire in your eyes  
And I hope you'll let it burn  
There's a scream in your voice  
And I hope you will be heard  
There's a fire in your eyes**

**And I hope you'll let it burn  
**

**Until you're heard, you're heard  
There's a fire in your eyes  
And I hope you'll let it burn  
There's a scream in your voice  
And I hope you will be heard  
There's a fire in your eyes  
And I hope you'll let it burn  
Until you're heard, you're heard  
**_...until you're heard..._

As the instruments crashed to an end in the background, our eyes met. We were breathing hard.

"Well that's..."

"Definitely a possibility, yeah," I mumbled, panting.

Before he could catch his breath enough to respond, however, my mom popped her head around the door.

"Hey, kids, I'm going out to grab some coffee. Want any?" I ordered my usual double mocha with extra cream and sprinkles. (**Does that sound right? Because I ain't no coffee drinker, so I don't have a clue what I'm talking about here. My brother loves mocha though xD)**

Chad said he didn't want anything, and Mom nodded and left. She'll probably get him his usual anyway. Better not tell him that. It'd burst his bubble.

"What do you wanna do now?" I asked him, smiling. He grinned lazily at me... Uh oh. He's up to something.

"I'd like to hear more of your songs," He said sweetly. Oh no. Not the puppy eyes!

"Noo... they're all totally... crap." I admitted. He poked my cheek with his finger.

"After that one you just sang, I doubt it," Awwww...

He continued to stare pleadingly at me, until I gave in with a groan.

"Fine!" I said. (**Song randomly made up on the spot)**

_Ohhh, whoa_

_Whoa oh, oh_

_Here you are _

_Comin' round again_

_I see what you are_

_You kissed me in the rain_

_It was so cliché, but then_

_I couldn't take the pain_

_You kept on taking, taking, taking_

_I couldn't stand under the pressure_

_And my heart was breaking, breaking, breaking_

_You used me to your leisure_

_Well, no more, no way_

_I've seen your faking_

_It's not so hard to break away_

_It's not my heart you'll be breaking_

_Whoa oh, oh_

_You took me in_

_Caught me in your power_

_I noticed when the veil was thin_

_Saw you in your darkest hour _[**Hour pronounced ou-er here :)]**

_You let her in_

_And I saw you for you really are! _[**Are a biiiig** **note here]**

_You kept on taking, taking, taking_

_I couldn't stand under the pressure_

_And my heart was breaking, breaking, breaking_

_You used me to your leisure_

_Well, no more, no way_

_I've seen your faking_

_It's not so hard to break away_

_It's not my heart you'll be breaking_

_It wasn't the greatest thing you've done_

_I know you've done a lot of things but_

_This really takes the cake_

_You're really just, one big fake!_

_Can't believe I took your lie_

_You played me from the start and I, well I!_

_Couldn't stand under the pressure_

_My heart was breaking, breaking_

_You used me to your leisure_

_Well no more, not today_

_I know you're faking _

_(It makes it soo that)_

_It's not so hard to break away_

_It's not my heart, no_

_It's not this heart you'll be breaking_

I finished the last line of the song, feeling tears pool in my eyes, as the old memories flooded back. That was one of the first song's I'd ever fully written, back when I was fifteen. I was brought back to the present by Chad taking my hand.

"What's that song about?" He asked me softly.

I wiped the tears.

"My... my first boyfriend," I mumbled, then bit my lip as Chad unexpectedly let go of my hand and balled his hands into fists.

"Chad?" I asked, my voice sounding a bit scared. Heck, I was a lot scared. Suddenly, Chad was radiating fury. _Fury_. He moved one of his hands, and pinched the bridge of his nose. (**Lol. Nose bridge.)** He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Who was it, Son? And... what exactly did he _do_ to you?" I shifted my legs, trying to get a more comfy position for story-telling. I curled my legs up under me, and pulled the blanket off my bad and wrapped it round me.

"His name was... Josh." **(Not that I like a guy named Josh or anything... ;))** "You didn't know him, he was... after your time." I swallowed the lump in my throat at those last words. Chad flinched very slightly, but his fingers found his way into mine again. They were warm. Comfort.

"Well, anyways... I'd just started at West Appleton High. He started school a few weeks after everyone else; he'd just moved from somewhere else... Texas, I think he told me," Chad started at that; his blue eyes opened slowly and he stared at me.

"I'd long since... dumped the nickname 'Sonny'" I explained, rather awkwardly. His big blue eyes were boring into mine, now. "And he was in a few of my classes. We were partnered for a project," I suddenly remembered. "And he was... really nice. He soon decided to give me a nickname... Sonny," I flinched slightly at how it had felt when he'd first called me that. "I was still in a... bitter stage. I was determined to forget, but I guess the reason I first let him so close was cause... well, he reminded me of you," I admitted in a low voice, glancing down at our intertwined fingers. "We became pretty good friends... and then he asked me out." Chad's fingers; actually, whole body- tensed up a little. "I said yes. He was nice, sweet, charming... he was the first guy to ever really show... that kind of interest in me," I muttered the last part, remembering how stupid I'd felt for years; Lucy had her first boyfriend when she was twelve. I cleared my throat, still not able to meet Chad's eyes again. "He seemed like a nice, sweet boyfriend. He told me his... 'background'" My voice became bitter. "He told me he'd been abused as a kid. He told me he'd never really felt close to anyone... 'til he met me," I laughed sarcastically. "Apparently, I was his first girlfriend. I was thrilled. It seemed like he really liked and trusted me. After all, who else knew about his abusive background? Who else had he asked out?" I found the strength to look up. I met Chad's eyes, feeling the defensive look in my eyes.

"After five months... it turned out... he'd taken comfort in another girl as well." My fingers clenched involuntarily. Chad rubbed his thumb in comforting circles on the back of my hand, biting his lip in an effort not to flinch. I slowly loosened my fingers again, and forced a smile.

"Sorry." I muttered. "Anyway... he'd spun a whole story to her too. Told her he'd been _orphaned at age five_. And he was... he was dating her too. She was older than we were... and apparently, he liked her even more. I just... when it happened, I snapped. I'd had enough of pain," I stared into the distance, remembering, and gave a lopsided grin. "So, I gave him a piece of my mind. I kept up the pretence, then on our next date, I sang him that song." I grinned at the memory. "Then, he had the nerve to say, "Son- are you... breaking up with me?"..." I laughed at how shocked I'd been. "And then I answered him... I was like, 'Heck yeah... I deserve better than you!'" Chad squeezed my hand, a small grin lighting up his face as he pictured the scene. I smiled back at him, then my grin slid from my face. "The thing was... I didn't really believe it... It took me a while to get over the heartbreak. But then I realized..." I paused, and knew Chad expected some emotional life-lesson line. I smirked. "Then I realized he was an ass!" At this, Chad burst out laughing.

Slowly, he calmed down.

"Oh, Sonny. Ya know, I was scared of how you'd cope without me... Looks like I was just being arrogant again, huh?" He smiled at me. "You're my good girl. The first guy to break your heart, and I didn't even have to be there to serve a knuckle sandwich! Awww, Sonny, I'm so proud!" He pretended to wipe his eyes. I punched his shoulder playfully.

"Aw, shut up!" Then I realized some of what he said.

"Chad," I said seriously.

"What, dear?" Lol. Dear. Anyways, back to the subject.

"You were right and wrong," I said softly.

"Huh?"

"When you thought I'd struggle without you, you were right. When you said you were just being arrogant, you were wrong. I was so... different with you gone. Truth was there was the little piece of me that was broken. The part of me that was holding onto you with all ten... metaphorical fingers." I smiled at him, and I took his hand, just as he took my other hand.

He smiled back at me.

"See, this is the reason Chad Dylan Cooper is a mess," He announced randomly.

"What's the reason?" I asked, smiling. Who knew with Chad? Well... other than me.

"Isn't it obvious? The CDC missed out on something when he was born. Chad Goldfarb got it growing up..." I stared at him, suddenly worried about his mental health. He flashed his perfect teeth at me. "You, Sonshine. If you'd been with me when I started Hollywood, I'd not be Hollywood's Bad Boy. I'd be the nice one..." He mused. This made me beam at him.

"Hey Chad?"

"What?"

"Come here." I demanded, opening my arms. He hugged me, and I wrapped my arms around him firmly.

"_You_, Mr Goldfarb, are the best, nicest, most awesome guy in my life. No Chad Dylan Cooper is gonna change that. No matter what, you're my best friend."

Chad pulled back from me slightly.

"No matter what," He agreed softly.

**A/N So what you think? The songs in this chapter are 'Seventeen Ain't So Sweet' by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, the first song by me is called 'You Know' and the second is... 'To Take and Break'. I honestly made it up during this chapter- it wasn't prewritten. Did you like it? :) I think this is my longest chapter so far! Okay, so tomorrow evening I'm leaving for my YF weekend. I may or may not update tomorrow, but I can't update Saturday through Tuesday. Soz guys :( But make me really happy and review, please?**

**Nangelgirl x**


	22. Extras

**A/N I am back! Yeah, my five days of Christian centred, banter filled days are over. Last night I went mattress surfing, it was brilliant craic, but I swear, I have a ridiculous amount of bruises... By mattress surfing, I mean we dragged a mattress off a bed frame, and jumped on it so that we slid down three flights of stairs (with a platform in the middle) and we went down in doubles (one mattress with two people on, and another on top) and I half fell off and had one side of my body being hit off each individual stair. Sore? Yes. Fun? Heck yeah!**

**I got my braces tightened today. I'm refusing to speak for the next few hours... it HURTS.**

**Anyyyywho, shoutout goes to... everyone who reviewed. You are all AMAZING, each and every one of you, and I can't think y'all enough :) Now, enough of my rambling... on with the chapter!**

Chapter 23

Extras

CPOV **(because everyone wants some Chaaaaadaaay!)**

I had so much fun with Sonny last night! Every second I'm with her, I'm reminded just how much our separation affected me. I'm starting to honestly realize just how important she is- how she's fundamental to my survival. Sometimes, when we're together, I want to say that, but there's only so much cheese a girl can take, and a guy can deliver without looking gay.

I smiled to myself, remembering her song. It outdid my crappy song by far... not that I'd admit that to her. I yawned, and checked the time on my phone. 9:31... I had about a half hour to relax before rehearsal. I sighed in contentment.

My best friend was back, which also brought me a way out of spending time with my psychotic stepfather (**I nearly wrote father-in-law- sorry, Chad, don't think you're quite there yet...)** and had brought me back all the things I'd missed while in Hollywood. For the first time in years, since my parents divorce, my father's cruel beatings, and losing my best friend... I was content. Completely happy, and satisfied. I was worn out though... I leaned my head back against the headrest, and closed my eyes.

I was jolted awake by a voice over the system.

_Chad Dylan Cooper to rehearsal, please, he is half an hour late... Mackenzie Falls actors are reminded that attendance is required for the training of the new minor characters and extras..._

I groaned and stood up, stretching my arms. I hadn't meant to fall asleep, and now I was late for the stupid trainee day thing... Katrina was going to kill me!

I glanced at myself in the mirror and quickly flicked my fringe out of my eyes- I may not be as arrogant as I appear, but a little bit of ego is healthy when you're a big shot actor. Ugh.

I walked quickly to rehearsal. (The CDC never _runs_)

I was greeted by Katrina's glaring face.

"Oh, look who's arrived!" She spat sarcastically. I winced at the jibe, then decided to do something I'd never done... apologise to her face.

"Sorry, Kat... I fell asleep... My step-dad was being... himself," I bit my lip, trying to meet her eyes. Katrina had met my 'father'. What a fun time that had been.

Her eyes softened.

"Aww... I'll let you off this time, sweetie. Go on in, everyone's in the meeting room,"

I nodded my thanks, before walking in...

I was shocked to see a familiar face.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

SPOV

I danced into the Prop House, humming along to my iPod. I smiled and nodded at Zora, who was, for once, on the ground and not in the vent system. She smiled and waved, looking for all the world like a normal twelve year old girl. I love that lil' girl. Most people think she's weird, almost adult minded kid, but all I see is a playful and spunky, awesome little girl. Tawni barged into the room. I was thankful for my headphones; as I couldn't hear about her complaining about, what I was fairly sure was her lipstick... from the fact that she was now waving it in Zora's face. I grinned and rolled my eyes at Zora. So many people see Tawni as a stuck up, self obsessed drama queen... and she does have that side, but she also has a fun, bubbly sweet persona as well. She was one of my best friends, behind Chad, and then Lucy. I sat down on the couch, smiling... just watching my friends.

Nico and Grady ambled in, together as usual. I watched as Nico slung his arm around his best friend's shoulder, waving his other hand, and Grady laughed. They were probably telling the story of an old adventure, planning a new one. The two of them... are never apart. I watched my friends whirl around the room. They were so natural and relaxed. I smiled softly, realizing just how blessed I was to have them. They were supportive, and they'd accepted me as one of their own. Zora noticed me watching, and nudged the others. They all sent a smile my direction before going back to their conversations.

My eyes widened at the coincidence as the chorus of one of my favourite songs came on. I mouthed the words.

_Honestly, can you believe we crossed the world while it's asleep?_

_I'd never trade it in, cos I've always wanted this and_

_It's not a dream anymore, no, oh, oh_

_It's not a dream anymore; it's worth fighting for!_

I always thought of it as my... Hollywood song. The chorus had played just as the plane hit the ground, and I'd realized that I was living one of my biggest dreams; to be an actress. I smiled wryly. By the time I'd got that call, acting was something I was secretly very good at- how else could I have made it through years of people wondering just where Chad had gone?

I vaguely noticed Nico come up in front of me, but he didn't capture my attention. That is, until he pulled an ear-bud out of my ear.

"Yes, Nico?" I asked sweetly, concealing my annoyance at his interrupting my train of thought.

"Yo, Allie, I was just wondering..." Oh, crap, that did not sound good. No, Nico, we have a nice friendship thing goin' on, thanks... Please don't say what I think you're going to say.

He lowered his voice and murmured his question in my free ear.

"Do you think you could go out with..." Oh man. "My bud Grady? I'm thinkin' he's getting a little thing for you..." I blinked in surprise- that hadn't been what I was expecting, at all. But it was still awkward in it's own way, obviously. I glanced at Nico, who nodded, then glanced over at Grady. I studied him, his blonde hair and blue eyes. I knew he could be really sweet, but I wasn't really interested. What I wanted to know... was Nico right? I knew people. Wouldn't I be able to tell, if I looked for the signs?

Grady seemed to feel my eyes on him, and glanced up. Nico leaned away from me quickly. Grady's blue eyes seemed to light up when he met my gaze, and he raised his hand and gave a small wave. I wiggled my fingers back at him, before pulling my phone out as an excuse to look away. This was going to cause a _lot_ of awkwardness, I could tell. Nico sent me a 'what did I tell you?' look, and I just shook my head and waved him off. I put my ear-bud back in, and started typing a text.

_To: Chadday :P_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_Omw. I just found out that my castmate may have a crush on me. O_o_

_From: Chadday :P_

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_Um... ew. Which one? _

I pursed my lips thoughtfully. Me and Chad had never really gone through anything of a romantic nature, other than getting teased about holding hands, hugging, and kissing each other goodbye. But we'd not really gone through crushes and dating and all that jazz. Well it should be... interesting?

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_To: Chadday :P_

_...Grady. Nico was the one who told me... sigh. He just had to interrupt me listening to my iPod and sleeping... I mean thinking ;)_

True chiz... I wondered what he was doing write now. Wasn't he in rehearsal?

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_From: Chadday :P_

_Eww. That's so weird... and why were you needing a nap, kid? Thought you told me you could do long night xD_

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes.

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_To: Chadday :P_

_Ugggh. I need caffeine to function. Mom used the last of the coffee..._

_AND YOU DIDN'T LEAVE MINE TIL AFTER TWELVE LAST NIGHT!_

(**and after I write that, I try to remember what happened last chapter...)**

He hadn't actually. My mom had come in and 'kicked him out' at eleven. He'd said his goodbyes, watched my mom walk into her room, turned around and walked straight back into my room. Yeah, my mom falls asleep in about two seconds. And so, Chad didn't leave until nearly one in the morning. Wanna know what we did? Played board games. Ahem, I mean we played board games... our style. Which meant adding a few things... like water pistols and whipped cream. Ahh... long story. Don't ask.

_From: Chadday :P_

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D _

_It wasn't til nearly one actually... and my mom just took one look at me and muttered something about board games. I WONDER how she knew :P Charles was a... different story..._

My throat tightened at the last words. If there's one thing I'd worked out about Chad's relationship with his stepfather, it was that that man was a bully and could hurt Chad in a way I'd never seen him hurt. And the worst part? It was subtle. Nothing you could _tell_ anyone about. You'd have to know Chad, and see him with Charles, to see.

I love talking to Charles. He's very quickly developed a strong hatred for me... which is alright, because the feeling's mutual. Haha. Scumbag.

_To: Chadday :P_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_What did he do, hon?_

_From: Chadday :P_

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_Well... let's just say... that kinda sarcasm hits you twice as hard at one in the morning..._

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_To: Chadday :P_

_He hit you?_

I nearly growled. Charles'd better not have dared.

_From: Chadday :P_

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_...not quite. He did sarcastically threaten though :(_

_To: Chadday :P_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_Ugh! I hate him. I hate him so much. Wait til I get m'hands on him..._

He threatened him! Told him he was going to hit him!

_From: Chadday :P_

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_Don't, Son. It's not worth it..._

_Oh! g2g, Kat's finally started something that involves me! Lates x_

I chewed my lip. Charles was the scum of the earth, that much I knew. And as much as Chad yelled back at him, as angry as he got... I could see the little flickers of pain in his eyes. Ugh. As soon as Chad's eighteenth birthday came around, I didn't care what he did; if he didn't get out of there, I was dragging him by his hair. He couldn't stay there.

Someone else yanked my ear-bud out.

"WHAT?" I snapped. Thinking about Chad's scummy step-dad put me in a bad mood.

"Whoa, chill, Allie!" A surprised looking Tawni exclaimed. "It's nearly eleven, I thought you'd appreciate me helping you _not_ be late for rehearsal!" I instantly felt guilty for lashing out at her. I held up my hands.

"I'm sorry, Tawn... I just had a bit on my mind." She looked up at me curiously.

"What were you thinking about that made you all snappy?" She asked me seriously. Hm... I suppose I could tell her a _bit_ of the story, right?

"Well... a friend of mine... his mom remarried a couple of years ago..." I stated sadly, thinking of Chad's story.

"That's not so bad!" Tawni said cryptically. I shot her a look.

"Let me finish please?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She held her hands up.

"Okay, okay, sorry... Go on." She waved her hands at me.

"Well, anyway... the step-dad always seemed a bit dodgy, and he and my friends mom got married within a few months. Suddenly, Mr Right started to look like the wrong choice," Tawni gasped.

"Did he...?"

"No... it wasn't, like, physical abuse, nothing like that..."

"Then what?"

"He was controlling. Psychotic. He made my friend change his last name, even though it wasn't necessary... He's harsh in a polite way. Seeing my friend with him... it makes me angry." I finished my story, my hands curling into fists. Tawni patted my shoulder sympathetically.

"Aw, sweetie... Don't worry about it! The guy will get what's coming eventually." I nodded.

"I hope so. Tawni?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise not to tell anyone? My friend's story is kinda... private." She met my eyes understandingly.

"I promise!" She said, sticking her pinkie out for good measure. I giggled in relief and hooked my pinkie around hers. We sat like that for a moment, before Tawni checked the time on her phone and let out a squeak.

"Rehearsal started ten minutes ago!"

_Crap_. Darn me and my need to get worries off my chest. I grabbed my bag, stuffing my iPod in as we ran to rehearsal.

Marshall gave us both the evil eye, but just told us to get changed for our new Check It Out Girls sketch. I sighed in relief as I pulled on the floral shirt and beige skirt.

"Check it out, he's got too many items!" Tawni sang in my ear as we performed the sketch. 'Too many items guy'- also known as Nico- acted offended.

"What? I only got a tin of peas!" He complained, jabbing his finger at us. Me and Tawni looked at each other, chewing gum boredly.

"Um, yeah, duh!" I said. 'TMIG' looked confused.

"Check out his face!" Tawni giggled.

"Check it out, there's _way_ too many peas in that tin to go through the express lane!" I said, like it was obvious.

"Check it out he's- oh, check it out, your phones going off!" Tawni said, changing line in mid-sentence. I listened and heard my phone singing Taylor Swift's song 'Change'. Chad?

"Check it out, Marshall can I get this?" I asked him. He smiled and played along.

"Check it out, sure, you have fifteen minutes break, everybody!" I nodded gratefully and answered my phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Son! I need to talk to you..."

"No duh!" I said sarcastically. "I'm in rehearsal, hang on..." I walked out quickly into the corridor, ignoring the weird look I got from the new mail room guy.

"So, what is it, hon?" I asked softly. I could tell it was urgent.

"It's the training day for the new Mack Falls extras and stuff, and you'll never guess whose here!" Oh... who was it that could've freaked out Chad so much?

"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" I asked impatiently.

"Hayley!"

What? Chad's little sister? Why am I saying this to myself?

"Your little sister?"

"No, my phone charm! Who do you think?"

"But... why? I thought your mom didn't want her to get in Hollywood business?"

"I thought so too! But either she's just snuck outta school, or Momma dear has changed her mind..." I could practically hear Chad's worry.

"Don't worry, hon, I'm sure it'll be fine..."

"No, it won't! I don't want her to be famous!" I raised my eyebrows, even though he couldn't see me. He understood my silence. "Not in a... steal-my-spotlight way, I just don't want her to lose herself... like I did."

"Right... just, go over and talk to her?"

"No one knows I have a sister, let alone three of them!"

"So? Talk to her! I'll come over during lunch, alright?"

"Yeah, okay... I'm guessing you need to get back to rehearsal."

"Yes. Okay, see you later."

"Fine..."

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"Good!"

"Are we good?

"Oh, we're _so_ good!" I yelled down the line, then slammed my phone shut.

I turned to see Tawni staring at me.

"You were talking to Cooper?" She asked me incredulously. Cover story, cover story...

"My friend phoned me, and Chad phoned me afterwards. My friend needed some comfort, Chad just picked a fight." I rubbed my forehead.

Tawni nodded.

"What is it with you two and that stupid fight?"

"I don't know..." I honestly don't. We've been doing it since we met, when he was eight and I was seven. I can't remember that far back...

"Well, anyway, let's go!"

And with that, we headed back into rehearsal.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

CPOV

I put my phone away. Even after talking to Sonny, I felt a little better, but still confused. What is Hayles doing here? She should be at home... in fact, she should be at school!

I walked over to her, and the rest of the extras and minor characters, and my cast. I was last to arrive. She looked over to see who was approaching, and her face froze.

"Hayley!"

"Uhm... hi... bro?" She stuttered.

Marta whipped around.

"This is your _sister_? You have a _sister_?" She exclaimed.

"Yes, Marta. This is my little sister Hayley." I said patiently, putting my arm around the fifteen year old's shoulder. Hayley looked at her, eyes narrowed, then smirked.

"What, can't you see the family resemblance?" She asked sweetly. Hayley is the most like me out of my sisters. She has the same bright blue eyes, rather than my real dad's green ones, which Vanessa and Esme have. (**Okay, I realize I said in chapter 16 the third sister was called Holly. That was wrong. It's Esme!)** Her hair is blonde, but with more brown than mine does.

"You never mentioned you had a sister, Chaddy." She said, like she was insulted, placing a hand on my arm. I tried not to shudder, and my little sister gagged. Atta girl, Hayley!

"It never came up," I said shrugging.

"So, it's you and your sister then?" She asked, interested. I smiled at her. How little she knew! She'd never been over to my house. None of them had.

"No, this is only one of my sisters. I have three." Marta's eyes bulged.

"S... seriously?" She stuttered, looking at little Hayley.

"Oh, yes! I thought you said you knew Chad well?" Hayley asked, furrowing her eyebrows innocently. I smiled wider at Marta.

"Yep, I have an older sister Vanessa, she's nineteen... then there's me... then Hayley..."

"I'm fifteen!" She piped up.

"And then there's Esme, the baby of the family. She's seven." I finished off, looking at Marta's stunned, insulted face.

Maybe having my baby sis around won't be so bad... I turned back to her.

"Anyways, Hayles, what are you even doing here? I thought Mom didn't want you to go into the business!" She smiled, but it looked forced. Her eyes were emotionless.

"Hayley? Who brought you?" I asked worriedly.

"Well, Chad, it was... Charles." She said.

_Darn that man!_

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

Katrina was introducing me to all the other extras. I'd met too many people for me to remember names... they were all nice and shy, not really sticking in my mind. Jaime, Andrew, Sean... I was finally on the last one. This one was different. He was a little older than the rest, tall with dark hair and brown eyes. Instead of cringey shyness, he was giving off an air of confidence, stretched to a point of cockiness. Oh, joy. A cocky extra. They were just... annoying.

Katrina seemed to be getting the same air off of him. She eyed him, looking slightly disgruntled.

"Chad, this is James." I forced myself to stick my hand out.

"Nice to meet you, John." He shook my hand, smirking.

"You too, Chase, you too."

That was when I knew that this was going to end badly.

**A/N Ooooh! Who was expecting James to be there? It was one of my original ideas with this story to have some of the actual episode events to happen in the story... So, I had the idea to add James in :) and little Hayley is there! Okay, she's not really **_**little**_**. But I like to think of her that way! So, did ya love it? Hate it? Tell me your thoughts! Review!**

**Nangelgirl x**

**PS Sorry, iluvchannty13, there wasn't a point I could get Chad in this chapter. Next time, okay? xD**


	23. Jameitis

**A/N I'm back baybeeeee! Hey guys! So, after all your reviews, and my whole being dragged away to the caravan thing, I decided it was time for my long overdue update... are you ready?**

**Oh, and iluvchanny13? Imma respond to your challenge. Prepare yourself, girl ;) There's a little Channy in this chapter, even in the none-James bits. Look out! **

**So here we go... chapter... 24?**

Chapter 24

Jamesitis

SPOV

I chewed on my thumbnail, anxious for rehearsal to be over, so I could check on Chad and Hayley. My attention drifted from the sketch.

"ALLIE!"

Zora's exasperated voice broke through my thoughts. I jumped.

"Yes?" I asked meekly.

"You missed your line," She said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh! Sorry... my mind's all over the place today!"

"I'd noticed." She commented dryly. I frowned.

"Okay, okay, let's do it from the top!" Marshall called. The rest of my cast sighed and shot me annoyed looks. I smiled apologetically.

After that, I drifted in and out of paying attention, but I made sure to concentrate enough that I wouldn't annoy my cast mates. Finally, Marshall called lunch.

"LATER GUYS!" I yelled, throwing my bag over my shoulder and practically running out. I could feel worried eyes on my back, but I ignored them.

I skidded, nearly missing the turn into the Mack Falls set I was going that fast. (**Lol- who hasn't done that?)**

The security guy scrutinised me but let me through. Ha. He's always confused as to why there's a 'Random' on set.

I raced in, and Marta stepped in front of me. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"Oh, Allie, can't you see we're busy shooting a _real_ program here?" She sneered, her nasal voice scratching at my ears.

"Actually, Mall Mart, I need to talk to him, and I can clearly see that you're not rolling. Do I look like an idiot?"

She raised her eyebrows and flipped her hair.

"Yes!" She sighed happily. Obviously, it was relief that she didn't have to come up with her own insult.

"Please, Mall Mart, remind yourself that I am not a mirror; you're looking me in the face, not at your own reflection." She looked confused.

"Who's the idiot now?" I sang, shouldering past her.

I skipped over to where I could see a large group of people, hoping Chad was there. The rest of them didn't tend to like me much. No one noticed me today, though; they were too busy watching something. I shoved through people, apologising quickly, to see what the fuss was about. I neared the front, and saw Kat (Chad's director), a good-looking dark haired guy, and Chad. It took me a second to focus, but with a shock I realized they were yelling at each other (Chad and the fit guy, not Kat). I watched as Chad clenched his teeth, and squared up. Uh oh. Chad wasn't going to fight was he?

I looked around, shaking, and saw Hayley with her back against the wall, looking terrified. I caught her eye and mouthed 'Stop him!' to her. She bit her lip and nodded.

I watched as she leaned forward tentatively and prodded Chad's shoulder. He didn't respond. She tried it again. He whirled and hissed something in her ear, and she shot fit guy a dirty look. She backed off, and I groaned silently. The other guy was starting to square up, too. I muttered a cuss word under my breath as they started to circle each other.

I ducked out pf the crowd and around the corner, pulling my phone out. I dialled his number and could hear his phone ringing in response. Good, he had it on. Please, distraction, please work... I heard Chad mutter something, then answer his phone.

"Hello?"

"CHAD DYLAN COOPER! GET YOUR BUTT OUT HERE!"

"I'm kinda in the middle of something, thanks."

"I SAW! Please, _please_ don't start fighting. I don't care what reputation you've got, this is stupid!"

"You don't understand!"

"What is there _to_ understand?" He lowered his voice.

"He made fun of my sister, Son!" I groaned internally.

"Darn you! Darn your _family honour_ protection scheme! Fight, but, man, I am not gonna listen to you complain about the paparazzi afterwards, okay? I'm staying _out_!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"Good and goodbye!" He snapped at me. I took a deep breath, fuming. Well... if he was going down, Hayley wasn't going with him. I dialled her number.

"Hello?" She asked, voice trembling.

"Hayles! Meet me over at the Mack Falls couches, okay? Do you know where they are?"

"Yeah, I saw them earlier..."

"Good girl. Just get away from there, alright kid?"

"Okay..."

I said goodbye and headed over to the couches. As I'd thought, there was no one there. We were safe.

I curled up on the comfiest couch. Hayley was there in just a few minutes. She sat down beside me, shuddering.

"They're really going at it..." She whispered.

"What started it? Chad just said that other guy made fun of one of his sisters." I said curiously. Hayley bit her lip and looked down, a thick strand of blonde hair falling in her eyes.

"He... he called me over... and used some _weird_ pick up lines on me!" She blurted. By weird, I think she meant dirty. Hayley can be so innocent for a fifteen year old...

"And... and I said, I have a boyfriend... and he... he said, "ain't he willing to share?" and grabbed my arm. I pulled away, and he turned to Chad and called me... called me a..." She broke off, looking horrified.

"What did he call you, sweetie?" I asked softly.

"He called me a... a dirty slag!" She cried, then burst into tears. I put my arm around her, and she leaned her head on my shoulder, sobbing. I sat in shock.

No wonder Chad wanted to beat that guy up! I hugged Hayley, trying to calm her.

"Shhh... shhh, Hayles..." I murmured, trying to comfort her.

After a few minutes, she quietened.

"Sonny?"

"Yeah?"

"Was it... was it hard for you when Chad left?"

I paused, swallowing hard. Honestly, I'd never let Chad know the full extent of the hurt I'd faced when he'd gone... he knew bits and pieces, but not the whole story. I swallowed again, thinking my words through carefully.

"Yes, Hayley... it was very,_ very_ hard for me when he left." I stated, sadness leaking into my tone. She looked up at me, wrapping her arms around my torso.

"Did... did you forgive him?" She asked tentatively. I looked down.

"Not until very recently..." I murmured. She looked up at me in surprise. "I didn't know the full story, Hayles. All I knew was that he'd left, and he hadn't even warned me that we were never going to see each other again." I sighed. "But then, he came back into my life... and he managed to show me, despite it all, that he cared. And suddenly I had the best friend in the whole world back at my side!" I was smiling hugely by the time I finished. She looked up at me and gave a small smile.

"I'm glad he has you, Sonny. And I'm glad you have him." She said simply. I hugged her tighter.

"Me too." I murmured. "Me too..."

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

CPOV

"Alright, guys, break it up!" a deep voice called out. Me and the new (annoying guy) ignored him and continued trying to rip each other's heads off. I grunted as he grove his fist into my stomach.

Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled backwards and up- one of the huge ass security guards had grabbed me by the collar of my shirt. The idiot I'd been hitting was getting the same treatment.

"I said break it up, boys! This is a studio, not a street corner!" The big guy holding me snapped. I growled.

"Put me down!" He didn't let go. I started squirming.

"Calm down first." He ordered. I fought the urge to growl again. I felt expectant eyes on me. Ugh- CDC character needed here. I swallowed and did what CDC did best... acted like a stuck up idiot.

"PUT ME DOWN! I'M CHAD DYLAN COOPER!" I screamed, kicking and struggling, and wincing internally. Ugh.

Some people cheered. Others groaned. Katrina just rolled her eyes.

The guy shook me. "If you start fighting again..."

"I won't, I won't! Just put me down!" I cried. My shirt was digging into my neck, and the pain was growing by the minute. Not to mention certain memories of abuse that it was pulling to the surface...

The guy released me suddenly, and I was thankful for the reflexes that kept me from falling on my face. I could definitely feel blood trickling from somewhere.

I brushed my jacket off, then stalked out of the room. No one followed.

I kept walking, blindly furious, which very nearly stopped me noticing my baby sister sitting on the couch. I changed direction, swerving towards her.

"Chad, are you alright?" she cried.

"No." I muttered.

She threw her small arms around me and I winced.

"Sorry!" She yelled, pulling her arms away.

"It's fine!" I lied.

"Chad?"

Oh great. My _wonderful_ day just got a _whole_ lot better. I turned stiffly.

"Hello, Charles." I said.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

After a few minutes of quiet I slipped off the couch, leaving Hayley with her thoughts. Chad would take care of her, if he managed not to get fired, that is.

I headed to the cafeteria, hoping my cast was still there. They were.

"Allie! Where were you?" Tawni cried, flinging her arms around me. I stiffened. Tawni? Hugging?

"Who are you and what have you done with Tawni Hart?" I choked out. She dropped her arms, looking horrified.

"Oh, my gosh! What just happened!" She yelled in my ear. I covered my ears.

"I don't know. And I just went for a wander... oh, and there was a fight in the Mack Falls set, so I went to have a looksie!" I said, smirking.

"You went to the Mack Falls set?" Zora asked, horrified.

"The 'CDC' and some random dude were squaring up to each other. That's all I saw before Marta came up to me, and I got out of there!" I explained, shrugging.

"Oh, well. Hope the other guy knocked some of the arrogance out of his stupid head!" Zora muttered.

_Me too!_ I thought, then was shocked at myself. _Hey, that's your best friend you're talking about..._

Oh, gosh, I was talking to myself now?

I shrugged again for my cast's benefit, biting my lip.

I walked up to get some food. A little too quickly; I bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry I-" I looked up and stopped. I'd just walked into a hot guy!

"It's alright." He said, smiling. "I'm James,"

(**So I mixed it up a little... sue me! Actually, don't.)**

"I'm Allison," I said, giggling.

"Yes you are," He said swiftly, winking. "But what's your name?" I couldn't help myself. I giggled harder, blushing.

"So... Sonny. I'd like to take you out tonight," He said, flashing a perfect grin at me. I melted.

"So, what do you say Sonny?" He asked. Did he look hopeful? This guy was asking _me _out? I composed myself.

"I say maybe," I said flirtatiously, flicking my hair and leaving.

Somehow, my feet managed to walk straight past my set though. After a few minutes, I found myself outside Chad's dressing room. _Might as well..._ I thought to myself.

I knocked lightly.

"Who is it?" He called out grumpily.

"Me." I answered. I was still a little mad at him.

"Oh! Come in then!" He called out. I laughed and rolled my eyes. I flung open the door.

"I have arrived!" I said sarcastically, spreading my arms wide.

"About time," He mumbled. I looked up, glaring. He had his back to me, sitting at his vanity. Ugh. What dude does that?

"What up, Goldie?" I asked lightly, walking up behind him. He turned to face me, and my jaw fell open.

"Chad! What happened to your face?" I exclaimed. He looked down.

"I got in a fight, remember?" Chad mumbled. His face was covered in blood and bruises- he had a black eye, his lip was bleeding, there were several little cuts dripping blood, his chin was a nasty shade of purple, and his cheekbone had a dark shadow forming.

"I thought the guy you took on was the same size as you? Did _you_ inflict that much pain on him!" I yelled, furious... but not really. The way a parent is furious when a kid runs in front of a car... protective instinct. I didn't let him answer, instead ran and hugged him. He flinched, but didn't throw me off.

"Oh, look at you!" I cried. "Hold on..." I let go of him, and ran to the nurse's office nearby. (**Yeah there's a nearby nurse's office... convenient xD)** I grabbed a cold compress **(that's what American's call an ice pack... right?) **and a small first aid kit, then ran out, thankful that she seemed to be on a break. Are nurses supposed to take breaks?

I ran back to Chad's dressing room. I was nearly there when I heard Devon's cold voice.

"What are you doing here, Random?" He asked. I would've been sarcastic, but I had a best friend to take care of, so I ignored him.

This plan failed. He backed me into a corner.

"I asked you what you're doing here!" He yelled. I recoiled slightly, then set my shoulders. I put my hands on my hips.

"I needed to get an ice pack for a sketch. Our nurse is out. Gotta problem? Take it up with _someone else_. Goodbye!" And then I stalked past him. Wow. I didn't cry... like the first time. That was humiliating. But then I realized, I've been through so much worse... and I'm tough because of it. So why should I cry?

But what was that I saw in his eyes as I walked away? Was it... respect?

Nah... I'm being ridiculous.

I made it back to Chad's dressing room without further mishap. I didn't bother knocking; I knew he wouldn't want to see anyone in his state.

"Hey..." I said softly. He was sitting on the couch now, waiting for me. I sat down beside him.

"What were you doing?" He asked.

"Getting this," I said, holding the compress up. He eyed it.

"Will this hurt?" I didn't answer, just pressed it against his bruised cheek gently. He made a little _ouch_ sound, (**I was going to say he gave a little moan but it just sounded... wrong)** but didn't throw it off. He was so much calmer around me. A little smile spread across his face.

"That feel better?" I asked.

"This is nice." He agreed. I went to move the compress, but he put his hand over mine, holding it to his cheek. I smiled softly. I didn't want to move, so using my other hand, I pulled a rag from the first aid kit, and wiped some of the blood off of him.

"You're a mess!" I said quietly. He shrugged one shoulder, not denying it.

I moved the hand with the compress. He made an annoyed sound, but didn't say anything. I rolled my eyes and moved it to his black eye. He hissed at the pain, and grabbed my hand automatically.

"Sorry!" I apologised. I hated hurting him. I laced my fingers through his.

"Just hold still, okay? I don't want your face to hurt anymore than it has to." He nodded, and shrugged his one shoulder again. I looked from his face to his shoulder, and back again suspiciously.

"What's wrong with your shoulder, Chadwin?" I asked suspiciously.

"No-nothin'" Chad stuttered. I pulled his jacked off, then pulled the short sleeve of his t shirt down so I could see his shoulder. _Ouch..._ It was red, and looked like it was going to swell. I shoved the compress on it hurriedly.

"Ow!" Chad yelled, then covered his mouth, glancing at his door. I nodded, and put more pressure on the compress. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. I squeezed his fingers. I sat for a few more minutes, tending to his physical wounds.

When I was done, he sat, just looking at me, holding the compress to his shoulder.

"What?" I asked, looking down self consciously.

"You're brilliant, you are! Have I mentioned that you're my best friend?" He asked, grinning. I rolled my eyes.

"Several times." I said, doing our sign for 'best friend'.

"Mmh." He nodded. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" He asked, looking up. His eyes were shining. A warm feeling flooded though my chest. I smiled.

"Not out loud." I said, beaming. We smiled at each other like idiots for a few seconds, before my phone _moo_ed, ruining the sweet moment. I answered it without looking at the caller ID. Which was a mistake.

"ALLIE!" Tawni screamed.

"Yes?" I asked. Why was she so mad?

"Where are you? Get your BUTT to rehearsal!" She screamed. What...?

"Aren't we on lunch?" I asked, confused. She took a deep breath and started screaming again.

"NOT FOR THE PAST FORTY MINUTES! MARSHALL'S BLOWING A HOLE IN THE ROOF! GET _DOWN_ HERE!"

"Alright, alright, sheesh! I'll be there as soon as I can!" I hung up, checking my watch. _Crap_. I really was forty minutes late! Ah... I realized Tawni had thought I'd gone out... so I'd take another ten minutes, and say I was at home. Yeah, good plan.

"Trouble at the funny hut?" Chad asked, amused. I reached to hit his shoulder, then remembered it was injured, so I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah. It seems rehearsal started forty minutes ago. Coincidence? I seem to have got carried away taking care of you," I said, sarcastically and thoughtfully. He gave me an apologetic look.

"Sorry... Can I come to yours later?" He asked. I raised my eyebrows- the plan had been to go to his house tonight- but didn't say no.

"Sure. I don't need to be at rehearsal for a few minutes; Tawni's under the impression I went out. So, what's happened today?" He pulled a face.

"Oh, you know... m'baby sis was here, I found out _Charles_ brought her," He spat the name. I nodded understandingly. "I got in a fight with an annoying guest star who was mean to my sister, then had a big blow-out with _Charles_... but then m'best friend came along and made my day better!" He finished, smiling sweetly at me. How has he managed to make himself look so bad to the press? He's so darn sweet and lovely!

"Awww." I said, before launching into my own story. "So I was worrying during rehearsal about my best friend and his sister... then I got mad at my best friend at being in a fight... then when I went to cafeteria, this guy asked me out!" I gushed, beaming.

"He what? Who did?" Chad shouted immediately. I giggled at his reaction, and the memory of the cute guy.

"His name is James..." I sighed dreamily. I was shocked out of it by Chad's reaction.

"YOU'RE GOING OUT WITH HIM!" He yelled angrily. I slid a foot away from him, shocked.

"Well, I actually said _maybe_, but yeah, he asked me out. What's the problem?"

"He was laughing at my sister!" I was horrified.

"Was he the one you fought with?" Chad took a deep, calming breath.

"No..." (**Ha, I fooled you, suckahs! But yeah, she'd never go out with a guy like that)** I sighed in relief. "That was some scumbag called Sean. He started hitting on my sister, she tries to get him to back off like a sensible girl, and he goes and calls her something disgusting! So I got mad. _James_ laughed at what he said, when he saw her little face crumple." He pinched the bridge of his nose. That should've been my warning sign about James, but instead, I got mad at _Chad_. (**I'm a poet and I didn't know it, lol)**

"Chad, he was probably laughing at your reaction! My brother's used to do that to me all the time. Jeesh, it's not like every celebrity beats someone up for slagging off their sister. And he's the first guy to show interest in me since- since Josh, okay! Most guys were too busy remembering how depressed I'd been over _you_ to come anywhere near me!" I yelled at him. He glared at me.

"Okay, Sonny. Okay. Don't you have rehearsal to go to?" He snapped. I shoved his arm, then felt instantly guilty when he cried out.

"Sorry! I'm sorry, that was mean. I didn't mean it..." He nodded, smiling just a little. I pecked him on the cheek as usual, then skipped off, turning just once to sign a heart at him. (**Ya know how you do xD)**

I ran to rehearsal.

"Nice of you to show up, Miss Munroe." Marshall said coldly. I flushed.

"Sorry... I went home to eat, and just lost track of time I guess." I said apologetically.

"Whatever. Just put on your costume for the Boston Tea Party sketch, and be quick! You've wasted enough time." I hung my head and shuffled off in shame.

Despite the dirty looks I kept getting for being late (again) rehearsal passed pretty quickly.

I skipped out, grateful to be back in my jeans and shirt. I went to the parking lot quickly, eager to get home. Someone stepped in front of me, and I looked up to complain. My complaint caught in my throat when I saw James's brown eyes.

"Hey, Allie!" He said, seeming happy to see me. Yay!

"Oh, hi, James!" I said perkily, giving him a little wave. I went to step around him, but he stopped me.

"So, have you thought anymore about that date tonight?" He asked eagerly. I thought for a second, then threw caution to the winds.

"Yes, I have actually. I'd love to go out with you!" His expression lit up. "_But"_ I emphasised. "I can't."

"Why not?" He looked genuinely disappointed.

"I have plans with a friend... but you know what, I'd much rather go out with you! So... see you at eight?"

"Yeah! The arcade sound good?" He asked nicely.

"Sure. See you!" I waved at him again, and then skipped off, squealing inside.

CPOV

After rehearsal, I sat in my dressing room, excited to go to Sonny's in a few hours. I needed to tell her what Charles had done to me earlier...

Just then, my phone buzzed, breaking off my thoughts. It was a text from Sonny! I opened it, smiling, but my face soon fell.

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_To: Chadday :P_

_Change of plans, sorry! You can't come to mine tonight. Really, really sorry! See you tomorrow? Sonny x_

I flipped my phone shut, my heart sinking. So much for having fun tonight. Great...

I didn't bother replying. So much for her always being there. I tried to shove the hurt away; after all, it must be something important, right?

I walked over to my vanity. My stylist had been at me before rehearsal, and I officially looked okay. I nearly bit my tongue in half when I saw _Tawni Hart_- Sonny's castmate- a _Random_- come up behind me.

"Allie's going out with your idiot castmate tonight!" Not James. Not James. Not James!

"Excuse me, what?"

"Allie. James. Date. _Tonight_."

"James. Date. So-Allie?"

"Yeah. So tell him to back off!"

"Why?" Don't worry, I intend to.

"She'll get hurt!" I know.

"So?"

"Oh, your lips say you don't care, but your eyes say you _do _care!" She snapped, storming off. I could barely concentrate on the Random though.

How could Sonny betray me like this?

She'd caught the James bug...

And it was up to me to save her.

**A/N THERE WE GO! Drama! Anyway... iluvchanny13, Chad got slapped twice in LWMS. Here, he got the crapola beaten out of him. I win! Lol, jokes.**

**So, tell me your thoughts! Love y'all!**

**Nangelgirl x**


	24. The Cure

**A/N Hello, guys. :) Thanks for reviewing, as usual... I'm glad you all liked the drama! Oh, shoutout to randomsmileyperson, for the warm welcome back into Fanfiction. Lol, thanks. Oh and to the anonymous review from a Newfoundlander (sorry, I don't think you left a name?) I hope I didn't offend you with the 'cold compress' thing, it's just I was reading a book by an American author and it said 'cold compress'. My apologies if you (or anyone else) found this offensive in any way!**

**Oh, and now for my long overdue disclaimers;**

**I do not own SWAC**

**I do not own the characters in SWAC, or the storylines and scripting I... borrowed.**

**I do not own the Paramore and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus songs from previous chapters. The only lyrics I own are the ones I wrote myself :D**

**Haha, reviewers. You rock!**

Chapter 25

The Cure

SPOV

I felt bad about blowing my best friend off. I really did. After years apart, it was truly hard to do... but I hadn't gone out with anyone (other than being dragged on unofficial double dates) since Josh. I needed to go out. It took me ages to find Tawni, but I finally tracked her down.

"Hey, Tawn! Did you get my text?" I asked cheerfully.

"Yes," She said. I didn't pick up on her tone.

"Oh, yay! Can you help me get ready for my date?"

"No." The cold, blunt word took me by surprise. I turned to face her.

"Tawni? Is there a problem?" I asked.

"Yes, there is." She said, meeting my eyes. Her face was cold. I responded to her tone, folding my arms.

"And that would be...?" I asked frigidly, raising my eyebrows.

"James Conroy. How could you, Allison?" She yelled at me.

"What is everyone's problem with James Conroy? He's been nothing but sweet to me! I've only known him for a day, but he's sweet and hot and he wants to take me out!_ What_ is the problem?" I yelled, throwing my arms in the air. Tawni got in my face.

"The _problem_ is that James Conroy is a heartbreaker, and a scumbag! A friend of mine went out with him; she got her heartbroken and ended it up wearing _polyester pants!_" I growled and rolled my eyes.

"Polyester pants are not the end of the world! I _like_ polyester pants!" I screamed at her, clenching my fists.

"Fine! Go out with him! But when your heart is broken in pieces on the floor, just remember... Tawni Hart _doesn't vacuum_!" And with one final flip of the hair, she stormed out of the dressing room, slamming the door behind her.

I crossed my arms, huffing. Fine. I'd get ready on my own. I was perfectly capable! I didn't need _Tawni_.

I stormed across the room and started sorting furiously through my clothes, choking back the tears. I refused to cry. I bit my lip and blinked hard. A fight with Tawni wasn't worth bawling my eyes out over. She'd probably have forgotten it by tomorrow.

Finally, by the time I'd calmed down, I had picked out an outfit; a long loose grey t-shirt that had a print like splashes of paint on it. It was quite low cut, so I put a purple vest top underneath it. I wore a denim mini skirt, but I hate my legs, so put a pair of thin black tights with it, then slid my purple Converse on. I loved wearing Converse, and I'd never been one to dress up too much; and after all, I was only going to the arcade!

I got in my car, but there was traffic and by the time I got to the arcade, I was a little late. _Darn Tawni_.

I saw James sitting waiting for me in the booth, and I smiled and waved. His face lit up and he waved back.

I slid into the booth opposite him.

"Hey," He said warmly. I sighed- how could he have earned a heartbreaker reputation? He was lovely.

"Hi," I said. "Sorry I'm late... I got a bit caught up in traffic." I apologised. He touched my hand lightly. It felt nothing like when Chad touched my hand... doesn't that prove that Chad's a friend and nothing more?

"It's okay." He said sweetly. "You're here now!" I beamed and _awww_ed internally.

This was going to be fun, I'd thought.

Boy, was I wrong...

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

TPOV

***1 hour earlier***

"What do you want, Pooper?" I growled. For some reason, he'd asked me to meet him here, in the cafeteria... Neutral ground. "This'd better be good."

"Do you know where Sonny and the scumbag went on their date?" He asked me, strait out. This guy doesn't beat around the bush. I scowled.

"The arcade I think. Why...?" I asked suspiciously.

"I hate that scumbag. He laughed at my little sister. The least I can do for him is ruin his date!" He said, smiling darkly.

I was shocked. Cooper had a sister? Cooper wanted payback on someone for hurting his sister? Cooper had enough of a brain to think of a plan? I narrowed my eyes, considering.

"Why else do you want to ruin their date?" I asked suspiciously. He raised his eyebrows.

"That's it," He lied.

"No, no... Chad Dylan Cooper does things for more than one reason. You're a twisted person... there's _always_ an ulterior motive," I snapped. His eyes widened a little before he pulled his expression under control. Ah ha! I knew it.

"No, no, no... there's another reason. I can see it in your eyes." I narrowed my eyes, thinking hard. What else could it be...?

I looked up at him suddenly.

"It's Allie, isn't it?" I said in shock.

He met my eyes for a second before looking down.

"No." He said coldly.

"But-"

"No, it's not about Sonny!" He snapped and mumbled something else. "Not this time..." But is that really what I heard?

"I'm sure. Why do you call her that anyway?"

"Call her what?"

"Call her Sonny." I stated; what else would I be talking about?

"That's her name, isn't it?" He said, like it was obvious.

"No, it's not. It's Allison, or Allie for short." I informed him. He smiled condescendingly.

"Sure it is," I rolled my eyes.

"Bye, Pooper," I spat. I had my own plan to form.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

CPOV

So, now all I had to do was date crash. Fun, right? It occurred to me that this may make Sonny completely furious with me, but it was all with good intentions... and I'd done a background check on Conroy. He was a heartbreaker, much like myself. Except I broke the hearts of mean whores and idiot airheads who'd move on in five minutes anyway. And no way was this guy going to break my sweet best friend. She didn't deserve the heartache; she'd gone through enough pain. I gritted my teeth as I bumped my injured shoulder into the doorframe.

"To save or not to save, that is the question," I said aloud randomly. (**Yes, Chad now edits Shakespeare for his own personal usage. Problem? ;P) ** On one hand, I didn't want to see Sonny hurt. She was my best friend, closer to my heart than anyone. On the other hand a) James might not actually break her heart (thought that was unlikely) b) from what she'd told me, she was already expert in ass kicking and c) Sonny would be forever furious with me if I did this wrong. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.

I pondered for a bit... but then the image of Hayley's hurt, defenceless face popped into my mind, and I remembered Sonny wasn't the only reason to crash the date. I needed to aggravate James Conroy for helping nearly destroy my baby sister. My decision was made. I grinned and got into my car, and drove to the arcade.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

TPOV

I was thinking hard on a way to save Allie from James Conroy. What to do, what to do? Sure, I'd told Allie that I didn't care, that if she got heartbroken I wouldn't help. Well, it wasn't a total lie... if I managed to think of a plan, hopefully her heart wouldn't _get_ broken.

Suddenly, the perfect plan came to me. I'd just crash their date! Pretend like I was invited. Haha, this was the best plan ever! I quickly changed into something... um, arcade worthy. Jeans and a top (designer, of course. Tawni Hart doesn't do non label.)

I smiled winningly at my reflection. "No hearts are getting broken tonight," I promised.

It didn't take long for me to get to the arcade. Once I was there, I focussed on acting like I'd been invited to a social gathering, rather than barging into their date. I knew what kind of thing they'd be at from the last time I was out with- I mean, the from what my friend told me. I finally spied them sitting opposite each other in a booth. I saw James lean forward and say something; obviously flirting as Allie immediately blushed and giggled and looked down. It was bizarre seeing her like this... usually she was laughing at idiocy (as with Nico and Grady) or yelling and insulting (as with Pooper). The flirty, shy girl was something new to see.

I fixed a smile onto my face, then slid into the booth beside Allie swiftly, barging into her shoulder and cutting her laugh short.

"Sorry I'm late!" I said perkily, smiling sweetly at James.

"Tawni?" James yelled in shock. Oh, good, he recognised me. Allie was too busy glaring at me to notice this. "James," I acknowledged him, then turned to Allie.

"What I miss?" I asked, like they weren't both staring at me like I'd just committed a crime.

"An _invitation_!" She snapped at me. She looked furious Whoa, I had forgotten how gate-crashing would set her off. She crossed her arms, the anger slipping from her features, leaving her looking... defeated. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

I looked around to see what people were doing. Huh. Eating chicken fingers and playing ski ball. I pasted on the biggest possible grin and told a big lie.

"I like chicken fingers and ski ball!" I said casually. Honestly, I'd never played ski ball in my life. And I like chicken... but chicken _fingers_? Do chickens even _have_ fingers? That's when something that surprised all three of us happened... although, not me as much as the poor couple.

Yeah, Chad slid into the booth beside James. Chad! Looks like we'd thought up the same plan.

"Sorry I'm late," He said to James, smiling. "What I miss?" Whoa, we're more similar than I'd thought... James looked up at me.

"Tawni likes chicken fingers and ski ball!" James deals with shock better than Allie. I grinned and nodded as Pooper glanced at me. James set his shoulders.

"What are you doing here?" He asked Chad, still casual, but looking annoyed. Chad grinned.

"I came to hang out with my _bro_!" He said cheerfully, punching James's arm. He's a better actor than I've given him credit for... But that was no friendly punch. I saw James wince before Chad turned to me. "So what are you doing here?" I could see that he was annoyed to see me... Not as annoyed as I was to see him. "What are _you_ doing here?" I answered, staring at him. James turned to Allie, raising his eyebrows.

"What are _they_ doing here?" He asked helplessly. Haha, we'd made him lose his 'cool'... although it's hard to lose something you don't have. Allie gritted her teeth.

"What are _we_ still doing here?" Their eyes met for a second, then they tried to bolt, but Chad grabbed James's shoulders, I grabbed Allie's and we pulled them back. We kept an arm around their shoulders, restraining them.

"So?" I asked casually. "Who's up for chicken fingers and ski ball?" I asked cheerfully. Allie groaned.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

**(and here, most of the similarities [aka script stealing] from SWAC of dating ends)**

CPOV

After about forty minutes of awkward silence, and eating chicken fingers and fries, Sonny finally looked at me. She'd been avoiding my gaze, but met my eyes suddenly.

"Can I talk to you for a sec, _Pooper_?" She spat. Oh, no. She was _mad_. Tawni had other plans, though. She grabbed Sonny's arm.

"Oh, no... don't waste your time on him, Allie! Let's go play... ice... hockey?" She said it like a question, her eyes flickering towards the ice hockey table in confusion. She dragged Sonny away before she could protest. They started to play, Sonny with her back to us, Tawni facing us. They started arguing immediately. James slouched back in his seat.

"Man, she is so cute!" James sighed. I glanced at him in surprise. Did he actually _like_ Sonny? (**I said most similarities... not all xD) **

"So- Allie's always cute... she's a beautiful person." I said. Well, she is... inside and out. Betraying best friend or not. I wasn't really that mad anymore... James had the ability to be charming, and my best friend was vulnerable after that last guy she dated. My hands curled into fists at the thought of him. If we ever go back to Wisconsin...

Then James made my opinion of him even lower.

"Allie? No, I'm talking about Tawni!" He said, grinning. What? Was I really hearing this? He was attracted to the girl who had crashed his date? He was enjoying this?

After that stupid date thing, I was sorry for a lot of things. I was sorry for James guest starring on the Falls. I was sorry he'd had the guts to ask my best friend out. I was sorry I'd yelled at Sonny and made her mad enough to _accept_ going out with him. And most of all, I was sorry for not punching him in the face there and then. I was past the ability to say anything at all to James, so we were silent as we watched Sonny and Tawni's argument come to an end, with Tawni storming out. Sonny stalked over to the booth and sat down, folding her arms. Her lip stuck out petulantly.

"Finally!" James groaned. I shot him a look of pure disgust.

"You know what... James, this has been a lot of fun," Sonny started. What was she doing? Was she going to ask to do this again? And what part of the night had been _fun_ for them? "But," She continued, and I almost smiled. Almost. "After all that with Tawni, I really don't feel like being out. Sorry... but I think I'm just going to go home now." And sure enough, she stood up and picked up her bag. James stood up too, and walked her to the door. I pretended to stay, and then followed them, close enough to hear them, far enough they wouldn't see me.

"So, I really did have a good time... well, up until Cooper and that other girl showed up. What was her name?" I heard James say. I couldn't believe this.

"Tawni... and I'm sorry our date got crashed, too. You're really sweet," She said, smiling up at him. They reached the door, but Sonny didn't leave.

"You're worth it," James said, smiling a very fake smile. Sonny didn't see it. She giggled. "So, can I see you again?" He asked, tucking her hair behind her ear. I was seething. No one plays with Sonny's hair but me! Sonny giggled again. Not flinching away from him like I wanted her too.

"I'd like that," She said softly, smiling. I hated this. I really, really hated this.

"'Kay. See you," James said. Sonny gave her special smile... the one she only gives for me. My jaw dropped as she leaned up and pecked his cheek.

"Bye." She replied, and left before he could say anything. I was burning with fury as I hurried back to the table which James was returning to. She'd kissed his cheek, like she did for me, and she smiled my special smile at him! UGH. What made it even worse was that she was being played. It would've been annoying generally, but this was horrible. I forced a grin at James.

"So, do you like Tawni or So-Allie?" I asked casually.

"Oh, Allie's like a kid. Tawni's beautiful... she's the one I want." I gritted my teeth, willing myself not to punch him in the face for treating Sonny this way

"Did you tell _Allie_ that?" I asked through my teeth. He smirked at me.

"Nope. I'll take Tawni out tomorrow. She'll figure it out from that, right?" He asked arrogantly. I sat on my hands... I couldn't get into another fight today, and the urge to rip his head off was growing stronger.

"So, you're dumping her like trash, and not even having the decency to tell her?" I summarized. He smirked again.

"Yup. That's how I _roll_, baby!" He yelled in my ear.

"Oh. Um. Okay. Whatever. Bye!" I yelled at him before leaving. Five more seconds of that and I would've started _another_ fight... without Sonny to clean me up this time.

_Sonny_. Oh crap. Sitting in my car, I realized she was under the impression that she was in a nice, sweet relationship. Which was wrong. And she was peeved at me for trying to prevent that lie from beginning... only... she didn't know it was a lie! Oh, help, this was going to get messy. I knew I couldn't tell Sonny what James had said about her and Tawni- she'd be too mad to believe me. Her reaction when she'd first met me in Hollywood had taught me that. She didn't really hold grudges, but her fury burned hotter and longer than it did when she was a kid. I just needed to be around to pick up the pieces. Because, after all... what are best friends for? And picking up the pieces included getting revenge. Oh, yeah.

I drove home, avoiding Charles, Hayley, and everyone. I wasn't in the mood for my family right now. Sure, I love 'em and all (except Charles) but I had other things to deal with.

I took a deep breath and sent a text to Sonny.

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_From: Chadday :P_

_Look, I'm really sorry... forgive me? I shouldn't have crashed ur date, but seriously, Conroy's no good. He'll hurt u. Chad x_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_To: Chad D:_

_You're right. U shouldn't have. James is really sweet. Why do u & Tawn think he's gonna hurt me? _

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_From: Chad D:_

_Because he's a known heartbreaker. Not nice. He's hurt a lot of girls. Chad x_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_To: Chad D:_

_Like u then?_

Ouch. That hurt.

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_From: Chad D:_

_No, not like me. Girls I dumped weren't real. They were cryin for lost publicity... just big Hollywood scumbags. James is different. He goes with nice gals like u then breaks them for fun. I do it because they're mean & controlling... much like my step-dad. Chad x_

This was actually all true.

_To: Chad :)_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_... i suppose. but it still wasn't fair of u to crash :(_

_From: Chad :)_

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_It also wasn't fair of u to blow me off :L_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_To: Chad :)_

_Aw, I am sorry about that... its just no guy has wanted to date me since Josh... _

_From: Chad :)_

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_You're forgiven. See you tomorrow? x_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_To: Chad :)_

_Yeah. Night x_

I didn't text back... instead, I flipped my phone shut. Tomorrow was going to be hard... but I'd fixed things between Sonny and me, at least. And I'd be there for her. Because she was my best friend, and I loved her, and I'd seen her hurt way too much to let her hurt more. Because I truly loved her and needed her. She was the most important thing in my world.

And with that last thought I fell asleep, fully dressed, all worries forgotten.

SPOV

I felt better after texting Chad. I'd liked being out with James. Tawni and Chad were wrong... he was nice and sweet. He wouldn't hurt me! But I'd still felt a worry in the back of my mind over Chad, and now that was resolved. Because, ultimately, he came first. My bestest friend. Truly important to my survival... and I loved him. A lot. Seeing him hurt was like trying to saw my own arm off... impossible and painful.

No matter what, we'd be together... forever.

**A/N So that's chapter 25... wow, 25 chapters! That's amazing. AMAZING.**

**Did you all enjoy it? I hope you did. It was fun to write. I don't think it's my best work but... it'll do. Right? Anyways, please review! Here's something I haven't said in a while... REVIEWS ARE LOVE! Love you all! (But not in that way, lol)**

**Nangelgirl x**


	25. The Side Affects

**A/N Hey guys :) I'm sorry for updating! I was up to my eyes in coursework and exam stress... my I had to do a practical for Home Economics today (which I burned) AND hand in the coursework. Ugh. Sorry for not replying to reviews... every time I try, it keeps telling me I can't and I'm using an 'outdated link' or something... What the flip? xD Lol, anyways. This chapter'll be centred on the day after the date, obviously, and the competition :) you didn't forget about the singing competition did you? Haaa...**

**Disclaimer; I do not own Sonny with a Chance or any songs I may or may not mention in this chapter ;)**

Chapter 25

The Side Affects

SPOV

I rolled over and stretched my arms, mumbling slightly. I was still blissfully happy from the end of my date last night; despite the Chad and Tawni interruption (**I was going to write Ch – awni but my fingers refuse to put those letters together as one word)** I smiled at my black, glittery alarm clock- out of place as it seemed in my purple and white room, I loved it. I glared when I saw the time- I needed to get up now. I rolled back over onto my face, clutching my blanked to my chest and groaning into my pillow. (**Monday morning feeling xD)**

After a few minutes of totally failing to get up, my door banged open and I grunted, not rolling over. I heard my mom walk into the room.

"Sonny?" She whispered, then huffed when I didn't respond.

"SONNY MUNROE! GET YOUR BUTT OUT OF BED!" I groaned, and she threw a cushion from the living room couch at me. "Now!" She yelled, stalking back out of the room. I rolled back onto my side and peeked at my clock. _Ugh_. I needed to get up now or I'd be late. I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed and stretched my arms and legs out before finally standing up. Mom knocked on my door again.

"Don't make me ask you again!" She shouted through the door.

"I'm up!" I grumped.

I started to make my way across the room, then got distracted by the distinctive _moo_ of my phone that indicated I had a message. I walked slowly, my nose stuck in my phone

_From: Chad :)_

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_Mornin' sunshine :D _

(**My guy best friend totally sent me that exact message once xD)**

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_To: Chad :)_

_Morning! I'm just out of bed. Ugh. MORNINGS._

_From: Chad :)_

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_Lol. U never were a morning person. I'm used to it... and I use the chance to wake up my sisters xD_

_To: Chad :)_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_Ur an idiot and an annoying one, while ur at it, boy_

_From: Chad :)_

_To: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_Eh, you love me anyway ;) _

_To: Chad :)_

_From: Sonnnnaaayyy :D_

_True, true :) gotta go, text u later! x_

I checked the time again, man! Fifteen minutes had passed and I was still munching my cereal (**by the way, I HEART cereal) **"Crap!" I mumbled, standing up quickly and throwing my bowl in the sink. "Sorry, Mom..." I muttered, running into my bedroom, grabbing clean clothes, and then into the bathroom.

About half an hour later, I was nearly ready to go- I was just putting the finishing touches on the braid in my hair. I slid a few bracelets on, and looked myself over in the mirror. Ever since my thirteenth birthday, I'd started to get very tomboy-ish- playing guitar, very little make up (when I'd actually started wearing make up), wearing jeans and Converse, occasionally dresses, and never, ever, EVER dresses. Skateboarding had always been something I'd enjoyed, so I never really felt comfortable wearing a skirt out anyway. Even with Josh, the most I'd done was wear vest tops. Now, I wanted to look good for James, but I was wearing skinny jeans, a thin vest top and a denim jacket, with light blue Converse. I suited it- so what was the point in going dressier? I'd be in and out of costume all day anyway.

With all this in mind, I ran down the stairs- I was running late, and no way could I risk being tardy after the escapade yesterday. After nearly breaking the speed limit, I got into rehearsal just in time. Everyone smiled and said their little 'good mornings', and rehearsal went on.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

CPOV

I chuckled at Sonny's last message, then Chasity shoved her head through the door.

"Rehearsal time, Chad! Seriously, if you're late again, Kat's gonna go ballistic, so I wouldn't advise it." And with that, she ducked out. Man, sometimes, that girl actually makes sense.

I actually was on time. Kat grinned at me as I took my stance in the library set, with Marta opposite me.

"And... action!" Kat called. I clasped my hands behind my back, and slipped into Mackenzie.

"Penelope, I can't do this anymore..." I said dramatically, looking at the floor (and to the left, of course)

"Why not, Mackenzie?" She asked, putting her hand on my arm. Despite its teen audience, the Falls is one of the most innocent, clean programmes around. Seriously, I think Spongebob has more, ahem, _themes_ than we do.

Not that I'm complaining. My mom would kill me.

I finished the scence, fighting the desire to yawn. Oh, look, Mackenzie changed his mind about dating Penelope again. Who will he go to now? Chloe or Portlyn? How will we survive the wait? Man, even _I _think my show is overrated... not that I'd ever admit that. After shooting a few scenes (**note; it is now Saturday. Both MF and SR will be rehearsing, only MF shooting.)** I wandered around the set, then slowed down as I spied James. I fought back a grimace as I noticed what he was doing; arranging flowers. And as I got closer, I could hear him practising to ask Tawni out in the mirror. _Pathetic_.

I glared at his back, furious that he was going to go through with breaking my best friend. And the only thing I could do was pick up the pieces.

I shook my head, then walked on. I noticed the extra's room, and decided to check on Hayley. I considered knocking, but what would be the point? I threw the door open.

A gaggle of nervous looking teens stared at me. They were all fairly young; I remembered that they'd been hired to be the younger students in the school in Mackenzie Falls (what? You didn't think there was a reason we all walk around in uniform?) I quickly spotted my sibling's blonde hair, in the middle of all the others. Well, now was time to insert my brotherly presence. Plus, I needed to know where my slime-ball of a step-father was. I slung my arm around her shoulders.

"What's up, Hayles?" I asked cheerfully. She rolled her eyes, but didn't shrug me off.

"What do you need, Chad?" I played the innocent act. Just like when she was starting middle school...

"What, a guy can't come visit his little sis?" I asked. The group of extras she'd been talking to looked surprised. Yes, she's my sister. Yes, Chad Dylan Cooper isn't a bullying brother. I'm a _good _brother.

"Not when he's at work, he can't. What is it?"

"'Kay, caught me. First, what's Charles at today?" I lowered my voice so that no one would overhear us. She winced.

"Well... _Dad's_ at work today." She said quietly. I stiffened and turned her to face me fully.

"Hayles, that guy is not our father. Our dad isn't even our dad, not anymore. We don't have a dad!" I snapped. "The closest I've ever had to a father is Uncle Damon." I said firmly, then dropped my voice. "And he's gone now..." (**If I ever named Sonny's dad something else, I'm changing it now. Sorry.) **She forced a smile.

"Well, he's at work all day. I think he's going out tonight though." I tensed.

"Well, if he's in a state, I want you to get out, alright? Stay at a friend's place or something. I'm sick of him." She nodded slowly.

"Me too." People were starting to look at us strangely, and I realized they must be curious as to what we were talking so secretively about. I raised my voice slightly.

"Oh, and Mom said I had to give you pocket money, Hayley. Hold on..." She playfully made a show of tapping her foot while I pulled my wallet out, then yanked a couple of twenties out. I shoved them in her hand.

"There, knock yourself out." I said nicely.

"Thanks, bro!"

"You're welcome. I have to go shoot. See ya later, sis!" I kissed her forehead quickly before heading back to the main rehearsal room. Everyone else looked stunned. Except, that is, for Hayley. Yeah, I'm a family guy. I kiss my sisters and hug my mom, look out for my sisters and call my mom. So what?

"Oh, there you are Chad. Come on, I want to get this scene done before lunch."

"Sorry, Kat, I had to give my sister some money. I think Charles refused... again." I muttered the last part, and Kat offered a sympathetic smile. I grimaced at her then walked onto set.

"Right, so from the scene when James asks out Chasity, then!" Katrina announced. I stiffened. Me and James doing a scene together? Since when? The only non-main character in this scene was the bad boy who robs a bank... Ugh, James plays a cool character? A character I have to interact with? Kill. Me. Now.

I grimaced as Kat called action.

I stood before Chasity, as she became Chloe and I became Mackenzie. I talked to her quietly, not really saying anything; we knew the camera's focus was on James, walking up behind her, not our dialogue.

"Hey, Chloe!" James made his (character's) presence noticed.

"Oh, hello, James." Chloe said, smiling shyly. I frowned, just as the script directed. I had to act like I disapproved of his presence, which wasn't hard. He took her hand, and started some speech about wanting to go out with her. Now I had to look all anguished as he asked out my supposedly secret girlfriend. Mack's big decision. Ugh.

I made it through the rest of rehearsal without punching James in the face, which was a relief; as much as I would've enjoyed it, I didn't need another beating after the two- I mean, the _one_ fight I got into yesterday. (**Ohhh, what's he hiding? ;D)**

Kat called lunch and I walked slowly to the cafeteria. I sat down with the rest of my cast. After a few minutes of me totally not paying attention, and wincing when loud, fake giggles from the girls interupted my thoughts, I'd had enough. I stood up.

"I'm going for a walk." I announced. Marta tried to make me stay, but I ignored her advances. I walked out, barely noticing as I passed the So Random cast. A little bit later, I suddenly registered the fact that I'd seen them- with Sonny leading them- going where James was.

"_Crap!" _I swore out loud. James_ and_ Sonny _and_ Tawni? I knew James was planning on asking Tawni out today; was he going to do it blatantly in Sonny's face?

Oh, dear gosh...

The worry gnawed at my stomach. But I couldn't go back in there- it'd look too suspicious. I'd wait til I heard a frantic Random. Sigh. What kind of useless best friend was I?

All too quickly, lunch was over. I couldn't tell from James whether he'd asked Tawni out or not, short of actually asking him, which I stubbornly refused to do. And through the next few hours of rehearsal, I didn't dare wonder how my girl was doing.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

Coming into lunch, we passed a spaced Chad in the hall. He didn't even notice us, not even to insult my cast or 'fight' with me. I guessed he was stressed about something... probably not anything I could help.

We sat down at our usual table. I got distracted as I saw James get up from the Mack Falls table to get fro-yo. I sighed contentedly, and Tawni sent me a worried look. James approached our table, and I squealed inside. I sat up slightly.

But weirdly, he didn't look at me.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" He asked... Tawni? He looked at ease, hands in pockets. I shrugged mentally. He was probably just going to grill her about interrupting our date last night. Oh, that must've been why Chad was so distracted! I was well aware he didn't like that I'd gone out with James, and James must have given him a grilling during their rehearsal earlier. Yeah, that was obviously it!

I smiled down at the lunch my mom had made me. She'd finally accepted that the I wasn't exaggerating about the cafeteria food when I showed her a video of our dinner races we'd had last week... watching to see whose food crawled off the plate first. We were bored, okay?

Tawni came back in a few minutes later, looking peeved. Haha, she never does like getting told off. She gave me a funny look when she saw me smiling.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"Nothing..." She mumbled, shaking her head. She gave me a worried glance every few minutes during lunch, but I ignored them. She didn't like James. So what? I was going out with him, not her.

We headed back to rehearsal, and it passed quickly. Tawni and I walked back to our dressing room together. I gasped as I saw a gorgeous bunch of flowers sitting on the little table.

"Wow, they're beautiful!" I gasped. Tawni looked awed, too.

"You wanna look at the label, or can I?" Whenever flowers were here, they were normally for Tawni, but we took it in turns checking the label just to see.

"It's your turn!" Tawni said, smiling and sitting at her vanity. I skipped over to the table. I pulled the little note out of the flowers.

"Dear Tawni..." I read out. "Aw, who's got their eye on you now, Tawn?" I gushed. She rolled her eyes.

"Just read the note, Allison!" She said.

"Alright, alright..." I cleared my throat. "'Dear Tawni. It was really nice seeing you. I didn't realize how much I missed you so... I want you to give _us_ another chance. Please, think about it? Go out with me? Yours, James.' Awww, and it has little kisses on it!" I gushed, then stopped suddenly, the blood draining from my face.

"Wait, _James_? James who?" I exclaimed, shocked.

Tawni threw herself across the room to see the note, looking even more shocked than I felt. She snatched the note out of my hands, then took a deep breath and faced me.

"Well," She said in a falsely cheerful tone. I knew her well enough to see she was faking. "I only know one James, so I'm assuming from the name, and the easily recognisable handwriting, James Conroy!" She said, all the sweetness gone from her tone by the end. I sat totally still, shocked. James had been playing me all along!

I couldn't believe it. Tawni had tried to warn me. Chad had tried to warn me. But I'd been so stupid and stubborn and _idiotic_, and I'd fallen for it! I couldn't believe it. I was crushed. I felt humiliated and belittled as I imagined James laughing at the thought of me.

"Allie?" Tawni asked gently, touching my shoulder. I whirled, suddenly furious at her. _She_ was the one he was blatantly going out with in front of me. She'd probably known!

"Leave me alone!" I spat. She looked hurt. "Stupid boy stealer! Get out!" Still looking hurt, she picked herself up and left. I slammed the door after her, then threw a cushion across the room, where it fell to the floor with a pathetic _thump_.

"Ugh!" I yelled in frustration. I felt so _pathetic_. I crossed the room and lifted the flowers, deeply sniffing their sweet, floral smell, before screaming and throwing them on the ground, then kicking them into a messy disarray. I growled wordlessly at them, then burst into tears. Within seconds, I was rocking myself on the floor, my arms wrapped tightly around my chest. I was so wired and irritated that I couldn't stay though; I rocketed to my feet and staggered around the room, angry tears of humiliation pouring down my face.

"She's in here..." I was distantly aware of someone saying. I turned to see Tawni, Nico and Grady come into the room.

"Allie? You alright?" Grady asked tentatively. I stared at them for a few seconds, before slowly picky up a small bottle of cheap perfume. They stared at me, puzzled. I drew my arm back slowly, then threw the bottle at them with all the strength I could produce. The bottle smashed against the wall, sprinkling perfume and glass on the floor and knocking a few of Tawni's pictures of herself to the ground.

"Get lost!" I yelled.

"Taking that as a _no_ then..." Nico said, and they backed out slowly, then ran. Over the next hour, they kept coming in, I kept screaming, and I refused to calm down.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

CPOV

After rehearsal, I was passing the So Random set. I was nearly all the way past when I heard a familiar scream of fury. _Sonny_. Whoa, how had the Randoms managed to tick her off so badly? Had she found out the truth about James? I was guessing it was the latter. Without deciding it, I found my feet taking me in the direction of Sonny's dressing room.

The Randoms (apart from Sonny) were standing outside Tawni's door into their dressing room. I could hear the sobs- and occasional screams- of my best friend coming from inside. The Randoms were all eyeing the door uneasily.

"It's your turn," Tawni was saying to the little, sneaky one in a persuasive tone.

"No! It's... uh... Grady's!" Zora yelled back. Huh. Sneaky little girl was scared? What were they talking about? I watched as they argued, and Zora eventually gave in. She took a deep breath and walked through the door of the dressing room. She said something to Sonny, but all I could hear of her reply was a scream and a smashing noise. I could only guess she'd thrown something. Zora came back out.

"_Now_ it's Grady's turn!" She said, hiding behind Tawni. As the blonde boy stepped towards the door, I realized they were taking it in turns to try and calm Sonny.

Tawni spotted me.

"What do you want Pooper?" I ignored the question.

"What are you all doing? Sonny's throwing a screaming hissy fit? Aren't you all supposed to be her friends?" I asked.

Tawni glared at me. "We _are_. That scumbag James sent me flowers, and Allie threw a fit. She hasn't let any of us in for like an hour. And she's totally crying her eyes out, too. We're trying to calm her down, and it's not exactly going well!" She cried. Whoa, she must be distressed if she's bothering to tell _me_. As Grady stepped back out, I commented.

"You're obviously doing it _wrong_, then, aren't you? Let me talk to her." I went to step forward, but they blocked my entrance.

"No way, she's already upset enough!" Nico snapped. I sighed in frustration.

"Look, I have three sisters and a divorced mother, I _flipping_ know how to calm a girl down! Get out of my way!" Stunned at my little revelations, they granted me entrance. I stepped in quietly and shut the door behind me.

"Sonny?" I asked softly.

"Go away!" She yelled, picking up a little deadly looking chair, preparing to throw it.

"No, put the chair down, Son. What's happened?"

She surveyed me through puffy eyes. "C'mon, Sonny, the poor chair never hurt you. Put it _down_!" She continued to look at me then dropped the chair suddenly, and dropped to the floor after it. She started sobbing.

I walked over to her and carried the chair to the corner of the room. I turned back and crouched down beside her.

"Come here," I said, putting an arm around her shoulders. She turned her face into my shirt, crying in earnest. I rubbed her back, not talking, letting her get all the tears out first. After about fifteen minutes, her sobs started to get a bit quieter, although she did not stop crying.

"What happened?" I asked softly.

"You... right..." She sobbed. "He... James sent... Tawni flowers... asked her out... ignored me!" She babbled, fresh tears pouring down her face. I understood enough, both from the mess of flowers on the floor and her words, to know exactly what had happened. She wrapped her arms around my chest, clinging to me. I let her cry.

After a little while, she pulled back to look me in the face. She looked so... forlorn, her mascara dripping, her hair stuck to her wet cheeks. "Why are only jerks and idiots attracted to me? They play with me then discard me like... rubbish! What'd wrong with me?" She cried, bursting into yet another round of tears. I pulled her closer to me.

"Listen to me, Munroe. There is _nothing _wrong with you! You're the most important person in my life. You're gorgeous and beautiful and awesome and funny and sweet and amazing and brilliant and perfect. Those guys are the ones who have something wrong; dumping you? They need their heads checked out! Don't let em get you down, Sonshine, because _they_ are worthless." I said firmly. Her eyes gleamed with unshed tears, and I kissed her forehead. "Perfect." I repeated for emphasis. She kissed my cheek.

"Thank you." She said simply, then went back to crying in my shirt. She had her fists curled round the material, gripping on like her life depended on it.

I heard the door creak, and looked up to see the Randoms coming in. I tightened my arms around my best friend, and she continued to cling to me and sob, oblivious of their presence. Their jaws fell open when they saw that, instead of killing me, Sonny had cried to me and clung to me and been comforted by me. I rocked her gently, pretending I hadn't noticed them.

"It's okay. It's okay. I'll get that scumbag's butt fired from this studios, and you'll never have to see him again, okay?" She nodded into my shirt.

"Good girl. C'mon, smile for me. I need to see that you're okay." She pulled away , singing _Little House_.

"Just a sec," I assured her.

"Hello?" I answered it, not checking the Caller ID.

"Hello, Chad. Why aren't you home, son?"

"First off, _Charles_, I'm not your son. Second, I'm with Sonny. Third, I'm seventeen. I don't need to be home. And seeing as your not actually related to me, you can't control me." He laughed coldly, sending chills down my spine.

"Oh, haven't you learned yet, I _can_, Chad... don't worry, _son_, when you get home, I'll be waiting." Fear crackled in my head, but I ignored it.

"Don't count on it!" I spat, then hung up. Risky. But I had to attend to Sonny.

"Everything okay?" She asked. I laughed lightly.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I said lightly. "It's fine. Just Charles being his annoying psychotic self."

"Oh." She nodded. "Well, you know what? You're right. I _am_ okay. I'm just gonna go home, and chill." She pulled away from me, ignoring the mess on the floor as she stood up. I stood up too.

"Thanks again..." She said, a little shaky. She leaned forward and gave me a hug.

I kissed her forehead, and we let go of each other.

"Anytime." I informed her, smiling a little. She smiled the most genuine smile I'd seen since I'd got here, then leaned up and kissed me on the cheek, before walking out.

Now, I'd have to face Charles.

**A/N. So love it? Hate it? Is anyone suspicious of Charles yet? That he's something other than just mean... Haha! Oh, and Chad's ringtone, **_**Little House**_** is by the Fray. Anyways, love you all. I enjoyed writing this chapter! Please review, cos, as we all know, reviews are love :)**

**Nangelgirl x**


	26. Run Away in the Night

**A/N So, my lovely readers, it's time for an update of Don't I Know You? Are you excited? Seeing as I have barely any ideas, I'm not too sure how this chapter'll turn out :L. Oh, who read my new one-shot Atrophy? If you haven't read it, please check it out! Shoutout to HopelesslyChanny for threatening James and Charles, AND favouriting and reviewing every single one of my one-shots! You're amazing! **

**Oh, and reading over the last chapter (after it was published!) I realized I made a small mistake, and accidentally cut out that the Randoms LEFT THE ROOM, just before Chad's phone rang. Sorry! It was really early/late (depending on your view) when I was finishing it! Aaah! Don't kill me! *hides***

**Disclaimer: Now, let's remember that, to my dismay, I don't own SWAC. I get it okay? Stop making me say it! *cries***

Chapter 27

Face the Music

SPOV

I wasn't that upset at Tawni over James. I realized she couldn't help it if he'd tried to play both of us. I wasn't upset at James either.

Oh, no. I was _furious_ at him.

When I started the seemingly long drive home, my sorrow at being played died down into a simmering anger. I've been lying awake in bed for nearly two hours, fuming.

I rolled over, irritated at the fact that I wasn't asleep yet. I'd been really late home from work (I'd spent a little bit of time screaming, crying, being comforted...) And Mom had been mad, and we'd fought over it a bit. I didn't want to sleep in tomorrow and prove her right.

I leaned out of bed to look at the clock. I groaned when I saw it was just after midnight. I hid my head under my pillow, fighting the urge to scream away my annoyance. Soon, I had to come out before I had a claustrophobia fit. I muttered, trying to get comfortable. Finally, my eyelids started to droop...

Just then, someone knocked on my (ahem, _forth story_) window.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

CPOV

I bit my lip as I walked towards the front door of my house. There was only one car out front; Charles. Nessa's and Mom's were both gone. I swallowed. _This doesn't look good_.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

"I'm home!" I yelled; voice fading as a hard-eyed Charles came down the stares.

"Close the door quietly, Chad." I fought back the urge to swallow loudly. I refused to show him I was scared.

It's worse when I'm scared.

I shut the door like he asked. It took all my will to be able to turn my back to him, even for a few seconds. _Don't be an idiot. Be a man!_ The cocky, CDC side tried to urge me. But I'm not the 'CDC' I'm Chad. Just Chad.

And I can't help myself. I'm terrified.

I looked at Charles. Nothing about his posture was threatening. His expression was curious, and almost... friendly.

Like that hunter dude in _Twilight_. (**Sorry if you don't like Twilight!)**

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I looked at Charles for a second. His eyes were impassive. I took the risk and flipped my phone out.

_From: Hayles _

_To: Broseph_ (**SLOD reference xD)**

_Charles is home. He's not plastered. But he's looking for you._

_I don't like this. I'm going to stay at Jen's. See you in the morning x_

_To: Hayles_

_From: Broseph_

_Stay safe, kiddo xx_

I snapped my phone shut, and looked up at Charles. He'd come closer. I took a step back.

"Who was it, Chad?" He asked evenly. Sweat broke out on my forehead.

"It was... was Hayley, Charles."

"It's Dad to you, Chad." His voice was still soft, but I could definitely hear a threatening edge to it now.

I took another step back. My back was now to the wall. My heart was thudding against my chest.

"So, Chad. How _is_ your friend Sonny?"

I shuddered at his creepy tone.

"She's fine, thank you." I managed, despite my fear.

"That's good, that's good. I do hope we'll be seeing her again soon." He smiled. I was suddenly worried for my best friend.

"Now, Chad, do you know where Hayley is?" He asked.

"She's at a friend's for the night, Ch-... _Dad_." I fought the word out. It felt like broken glass against my throat.

"Oh, that's too bad." It took me a second to register what he was thinking. When I did, I growled.

"Oh, heck no! You're not dragging my baby sister into this, Charlie!" I yelled.

Fear flooded my stomach as soon as the words were out. His eyes flashed. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but I swear, for a second, they gleamed red. I recoiled. He stalked towards me slowly.

I knew I couldn't fight him. He'd somehow twist it back on me.

So, in the fight-or-flight situation, I couldn't fight, so just as Charles got close, I ducked to the side and ran.

I wasn't fast enough. His arm braced on the wall in front of me. Not to be defeated quickly, I ducked underneath. I didn't know where to go, but my feet kept moving. Adrenaline was flowing.

"No, Charles!" I yelled, then threw myself up the stairs.

I was relying on me being younger and faster, but Charles is _fast_ for his age. I stole a glance over my shoulder, and he was closer behind me than I thought he could be. I ranched up my speed and got to my room. I threw my weight against the door just as he caught up. I locked the door just as he started slamming his fists against it.

"CHAD DYLAN COOPER! LET ME IN!" He yelled. I shuddered and rolled my eyes.

"Yeah right," I muttered. I made sure the lock was secure, then grabbed a backpack and threw a random outfit in. My mom always puts outfits together so that they match. And I've spent enough years being dragged shopping with my sisters (and Sonny, when I was younger) that I vaguely knew how to match things myself. I hunted around for my favourite Converse and threw them in. I raced across to my en suite bathroom and grabbed a toothbrush, toothpaste and a towel. I skidded back into my room and tucked a pillow under my arm before turning to face the door. I winced as I heard Charles banging on the door.

I couldn't face him tonight, and I couldn't go out that door, obviously. That left me with only one option.

I took a deep breath and turned to face the window.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

Let me tell you, making a break for it out a third storey window, holding a backpack _and_ a pillow, and trying to be quiet enough that the enraged monster outside your door doesn't hear you; well... it's easier said than done.

And it's not that easy to say, anyway.

I gritted my teeth and secured the straps of my backpack, trying to find some way to balance the pillow as I hooked one leg out the open window. The cool night air blew in on my face, clearing my head a little.

I could dimly make out the braches of the huge tree. I gripped the top of the window frame, grimacing as the pillow loosened underneath my arm, and threatened to fall out.

I had a sudden idea. Pillows were soft, right? So it wouldn't do my beloved cushion any harm if I just... dropped...

I heard a light thump as my pillow hit the ground. _Much_ better. Now I had less of a risk of falling three storeys and breaking my neck!

Charles yelled through the door.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE?" I closed my eyes, willing him to go away. I knew it didn't work when he hit the door again.

"Keeping away from YOU!" I yelled back. That made him angrier. His hits on the door increased in tempo.

"Let me in you little brat!" He screamed. _Not bloody likely _I thought. (**Sorry...)**

With a wave of intuition, I realized waiting around was deadly. The longer I stared at the ground, the more afraid to go I'd get. The longer I hung out in my room, the more suspicious Charles would get. With this new knowledge, I closed my eyes tight for a second, then manoeuvred my other leg out the window. I held on to the side of the window with my other hand. Charles screamed wordlessly through the door, and the fear of him temporarily taking over the fear of falling and dying, I ignored the danger and swung myself out window.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I landed on the thick, strong branch of the tree outside my window.

"_Whoa_!" I mumbled as I slipped, grabbing the bark in front of me and righting myself. I waited while my breath and heartbeat slowed, then started to climb carefully down the tree. I could hear Charles cussing, but I could also tell he hadn't worked out I was gone yet.

Finally, I felt my feet touch firm ground. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. I took a few deep breaths, picked up my pillow, and then walked around the back of my house, and out on the street.

A few streets later, I realized that I could easily be recognised. I was still in my Mack Falls uniform, and I didn't have sunglasses or anything. I stopped, then remembered the clothes in my bag. Smiling slightly, I unzipped it and pulled the baggy hoodie over my head.

Much better. Grinning, I started the long walk to my destination.

After what felt like miles of walking, I checked the time. It was quarter to midnight! What?

I looked around myself, and realized I was nearly there. Smiling in relief, I started to run. I walked into someone.

"Hey, what it! Darn kids..." The man mumbled, shuffling off. I rolled my eyes, then looked up, realizing I was there. As I approached the door of the building, however, I realized it was way too late to go in the conventional way. I groaned, realizing this meant more climbing. Thankfully, there was fire escape that'd take me right where I wanted to go, so I didn't have to turn Spiderman and crawl up the wall. I made my way around and quickly crawled up the fire escape. (**A/N I don't actually know what a fire escape is like. Is it like a ladder or something? But I know that in some stories people use them to sneak in and out when they're grounded and stuff, so I'm going by that and not going into too much detail)**

Soon, I was at the right part. I grinned and leaned forward.

CDC~SM~CDC~SM~CDC

SPOV

I debated whether or not it was a good idea to randomly open my window... but I threw caution to the winds and opened it anyway. Cold air blew in and cooled my warm face. But my attention was on the person at my window.

"CHAD! What the heck?" I whisper-shouted, not wanting to wake my mother.

"Pl-please let me in!" Chad stuttered, shivering. I was too stunned to do anything but move aside. He tumbled in, landing with a thump, a pillow clutched in his arms.

The whole situation was too ridiculous...

I burst out laughing.

"Okay, okay, what's the story?" I giggled, at his upside down face. He rolled into a sitting position, wincing. He was still shivering.

"Ch-Ch-Charles." He managed. My giggled stopped abruptly. I sat down beside him.

"What did he do?" I demanded. He met my eyes. He was desperate, and scared.

"He- he was being horrible. He lost his temper and started telling me about how I was a brat. I couldn't stay, Son. Not tonight." I ignored the feeling of him not telling the whole truth.

I felt a great swell of sympathy as I stared into his haggard eyes. I thought of the comfort he gave earlier.

"Okay," I said simply.

"What?"

"Okay, you can stay here tonight." I said. His face lit up, though his eyes were a little wary.

"Really?" He asked.

"Really." I murmured, patting down his hair, which was sticking up.

"Chad, did you _walk_ here?" I asked, horrified.

"Um... Maybe?" He said, staring at the floor.

"_Chad_..." I groaned. That thought scared me.

I strode quietly out of the room

"Wait!" He called. I turned and placed a finger on my lips, suggesting he be quiet. He understood. I continued, and grabbed a sleeping bag from the linen closet.

I threw it in my door. "Here!" I whispered, then walked stealthily into the kitchen.

I poured some water in the kettle and waited for it to boil, grateful, as always, that my mother is a fairly heavy sleeper. Once it was boiled, I put a few spoonfuls of cocoa powder in a mug and added the water, stirring.

I smiled as I made my way back into my room, seeing my best friend sprawled out on the floor, trying to undo the cord on the sleeping bag's bag. (**Lol)**

"There you go," I murmured, handing him the hot chocolate. "That'll warm you up a bit."

"Thank you so much, Sonny," He murmured. I stepped over his legs carefully, and crawled over and pulled the sleeping bag out of his grip. I pulled it out of the bag and shoved him out of the way so I could spread it out on the floor.

"Thanks." He muttered, smiling sheepishly.

"I take it you brought pyjamas, Goldie?" I asked. His expression froze. I groaned.

"Of course not." I muttered. "Well, sorry, hun, I can't help you there... did you bring spare clothes?" I asked. He nodded.

"Then you're sleeping in those ones, okay?" I said, not giving him much opportunity to reply as I crawled back into bed.

"Night, Son."

"Nighty night, Chad." I murmured, letting my eyes slip closed.

I woke up after a few hours, seeing Chad tossing around, mumbling in his sleep. I blinked. Nightmares?

"No- no... Not Sonny..." He mumbled, rolling over. His face was so distressed I wanted to wake him, but I knew better. Instead I slid out of bed, dragging my duvet and pillows with me. I curled up against his side and rubbed his arm. Gradually, he stopped tossing and his mumbling faded.

"Don't... go..." Was the last thing I was aware of him saying.

"I won't," I promised him. And with that, I drifted back to sleep.

**A/N Sorry it was a bit short! I hope you all liked it :) especially the little bit of Channy at the end :D**

**So, tell me... loved it? Hated it? Mildly enjoyed it? Tell me your thoughts... Review! Cos as we all know, REVIEWS ARE LOVED!**

**Nangelgirl x**


	27. Wakeup Call

**A/N Hello, guys :) Yes, it's true... I'M UPDATING ALREADY! Darn, that's fast, innit? Yeah, so your response to the last chapter was AMAZING! I've gotten used to about 14 emails the day after I post, and I got home from school today and I had **_**33!**_** Aah! That's awesome! You guys are great :D So, I have a TON of shoutouts to hand out... *wink, wink* These are for Charles threats (and one for James, too xD). They make me lol :P So... in no particular order... shoutouts go toooo... HopelesslyChanny (death by chainsaw- that's the one for James, also), ChAnNyObSeSsEd (beaten to death), and MiiMyselfandTime (unexpected visit- ROFL, I heart you British xD). Another shoutout to iluvchanny13, for putting up with my endless PMs (and freak-out over the evil 'wait ten seconds before sending' PM stopper).**

**Oh, and to reply to past decembers, the reason they got married was 'cause he took the sort of homeless Goldfarbs in, then basically took advantage of Julia's recently broken heart by being really nice and asking her out and stuff... and the chapter's name is 'Run Away in the Night'- it was originally gonna be 'Face the Music'- guess I forgot to change it, soz. And thanks for a really sweet review!**

**DC: I do not own SWAC or its characters. I do, however, own Charles, Hayley, Julia, Nessa, Esme, and goodness knows what other characters I've made up. **

**Chapter 28 (already?)... Enjoy!**

Chapter 28

Wakeup Call

CPOV

My eyes fluttered open. Where was I? Uhm... well, I wasn't in my bed, but I wasn't exactly uncomfortable... it felt like I was lying on a big pillow. (**A/N- it's a good sleeping bag ;D)**

I was lying on my side,I felt a warmth somewhere near my chest. Hm. I didn't have a hot water bottle last night, did I? Suddenly, a small groan sounded from around the same place I could feel the warmth. I woke up enough to loom down.

First, I saw a sleeping bag. Then, I saw a mop of brown hair. None of this really registered to my sleeping eyes. I shrugged, and lay back down. I drifted back to sleep.

Connie's POV

I woke up at my alarm clock, then went to wake Sonny. I knocked on the door, but walked in when there was no response.

"Sonny, time to- AHHH!" I screamed.

My daughter was curled up, fast asleep. On the floor.

On some boys chest! All I could see was that he was blonde. I glared as the two of them shot awake and sat up, screaming themselves.

"SONNY MUNROE!" I yelled. Her and the boy turned to face me, and my anger faltered very suddenly.

"Oh, uhm, sorry, Chad." I said sheepishly. The two teens looked exhausted, Chad especially. I glared at them again, but not quite so furiously.

"When did you get here, Chad?" I asked. "And you do know most people ask before crashing on someone else's floor," I said, a little humor leaking into my tone. Chad grinned and Sonny bit her lip.

"My step-dad was being mean. I got annoyed and did a runner. I asked Sonny if I could crash here." He explained sheepishly.

My face softened as he mentioned his step-father. I'd met him only once, and he'd come across rather harshly.

_**Flashback;**_

_There were a few knocks at the door. Chad poked his head around Sonny's door and eyes the front door warily. I shrugged at the bizarre behaviour before answering the door. A tall, blue-eyed man was there._

"_Is Chad here?" He asked. He sounded a little demanding. I frowned._

"_Yes, actually. Is there a reason you asked?" I snapped. The kids had warned me of paparazzi._

"_I'm his father." He said coldly. I frowned, uncomfortable. _

"_Really? You don't look like Joe Goldfarb." I said critically, eyeing him._

_His eyes flashed._

"_I'm his step-father." He announced. I bit my lip._

"_Well... why are you here? Couldn't you call or something. And I'm Connie, Connie Munroe." He smiled nastily._

"_Oh, I take it you're Sonny's mother? I'm Charles Cooper" He asked. There was something not quite right about his tone. I shifted a bit, blocking his entrance._

"_That's right. I'll get Chad for you." I turned._

"_Chad, dear, your _step_-dad's here!" I called over my shoulder, emphasizing the 'step'. Chad appeared, looking grim. _

"_Bye, Son." He muttered. She appeared and turned him around, then wrapped her arms around his waist. She whispered something in his ear, and he smiled before loosening her arms. He came to the door._

"_Hello, Charles." He said stiffly. It was strange, Chad's usually very easy-going. That feeling I was getting about Charles intensified._

"_Let's go, Chad." Charles said immediately, turning to leave. I heard Chad grit his teeth._

"_Bye, Aunt Connie." He said, surprising me by hugging me. Charles flashed an annoyed look. No, annoyed didn't cover it._

"_Come, boy!" He snapped. Chad rolled his eyes and followed him out, waving._

_I hated the man already._

_**Flashback ends**_

I smiled.

"Well, a little warning would've been nice," I muttered. "Do you both have to work today?" I asked. Sonny rolled her eyes. (**I lost track of the day...)**

"Yes, Mom." She said, leaning back on her elbows.

"Get up then, you lazy kids!" I coaxed, walking into the kitchen. I decided I'd make them breakfast.

"Shotgun bathroom!" I heard my daughter yell. Both teenagers ran, slamming into the doorframe at the same time and struggling to get into the bathroom first.

I just rolled my eyes.

_Teenagers._

SPOV

I finally won our bathroom-battle, by jabbing my finger into the hollow just below Chad's collar bone. He crumpled.

"Victory!" I sang, running into the room and locking the door.

I heard him grumble but ignored him as I started getting ready. I deliberately took fifteen minutes, only coming out when my make-up was done to perfection. (**She took her clothes into the bathroom with her.)**

"Done!" I said innocently, walking out. Chad was sitting on the couch, legs crossed.

"Finally!" He yelled, and ran into the bathroom. I rolled my eyes.

"Idiot." I muttered. I walked into the kitchen, smelling my mom's cooking.

"Whoa, this looks amazing!" I exclaimed. My mom had made a full fry, for herself and Chad, obviously, and set out a bowl of my favourite cereal and a steaming mug of tea.

"Thanks, Mom." I muttered, hugging her. She hugged me back.

"My pleasure, hun." She whispered, then released me as my best friend clattered into the kitchen.

"I smell food!" He yelled. I shook my head.

"Of course you did." I muttered, sitting beside him and starting to eat my breakfast. Chad immediately began stuffing his face.

"Pig." I commented.

He narrowed his eyes at me, but didn't empty his mouth for long enough to respond. My mom laughed at us.

When breakfast was done, we were faced with a problem; how to get to work without getting our cast's suspicious?

"Why don't you two just admit you're best friends?" My mom suggested. We both looked at her, in a 'are you stupid, woman?' way. She shook her head and raised her hands in surrender.

"Just a suggestion," She said, sighing.

We debated for a few minutes. I checked my watch.

"Oh, we're gonna be late! Just pretend your car broke down and you made me pick you up to be annoying." I said quickly. Chad nodded and we ran out.

Once we were on the road, I turned the radio on. We sang along to Bruno Mar's 'Lazy Song.' As soon as it was over, we both reached to switch the radio channel. Our hands touched, and I snapped mine back to the wheel quickly. It felt like he'd given me an electric shock. Chad went a little red. I guessed he felt it too? He ignored it though, and continued to mess with the radio. Soon, we relaxed out of awkward silence and into our usual banter.

I saw the sign for Condor Studio's, and sighed.

"Ready for an acting exercise?" I asked sarcastically. He scowled at me.

"Watch it with the _funny_, Munroe!" He snapped in a low voice. "I might laugh," He added, winking. I giggled, and we quickly set into our 'enemies' routine as I pulled into a parking space.

We walked into the studios together, bickering.

Marta came up to us, glaring.

"Did you two come... _together_?" She asked suspiciously. I glowered at Chad before responding.

"This _idiot_'s car broke down." I growled, not looking at her. "And he decided to ruin my day and demand I give him a lift."

"Oh, you know you love me, Munroe," He said arrogantly.

"In your dreams." I muttered, flicking my hair as I stormed off. As he and Mall-Mart headed off together, I caught his eye, and he winked, making sure she was looking the other direction. I smiled.

Just another day at the studios.

**A/N Sorry it's short! But I wanted to get this up tonight, and it's kinda fillerish :( plus, I needed to catch up to iluvchanny13... We're still tied, girl ;)**

**So, did you hate it? Love it? Want to kill me for it's shortness? Whatever your thoughts, tell me... review! Cos review's are love!**

**(Yes, past decembers, that is indeed, my slogan. You're the first to actually notice, well done! :D)**

**Nangelgirl x**


	28. Old 'Friends' and Insecurity

**A/N So sorry for disappearing, I will explain, but first... iluvchanny13, congrats on winning our 'first-to-30' bet/competition. I will get that one-shot done as soon as I can. Yes, readers, I epically failed at winning that bet... But, in my defence, I **_**did**_** pick a really stupid time for a bet/challenge thing... near the start of my exams. I had orals to do, and didn't have any time to update. And my proper exams started yesterday, so I'm really sorry if I can't update as often... but it's for a good reason, alright? :(**

**Shoutout to... annad063 for giving me lots of reviews :) and to Lena, aka HopelesslyChanny for being the epitome of cool-ness and awesome-ness. Remember, Mr Whippy is ice-cream cool ;D**

Chapter 29

Old 'Friends' and Insecurity

**SPOV**

I was worried about Chad. I'd realized, very suddenly, that there was a deeper reason for his nightmares and possessive protectiveness and paranoia. He was worried. Hurting. Scared- terrified Out of the many things I knew about Chad Taylor Goldfarb Cooper, he could get scared, but it took a lot to terrify him. A terrified Chad meant we were down in some serious chizz...

I couldn't help worrying about him- and for him. I hadn't got to see him much in the past few days- but I was determined to find out if there was something wrong- because I was probably over-thinking- and if there was, to find out _what_ it was... and get it the heck out of the way. Because I was as protective of him as he was of me. If he was hurting, there was nothing I wanted more than to intertwine our fingers and take down the problem. Together.

"ALLIE!" I heard a voice yell. I swear, I jumped about a foot in the air. I looked up to see Tawni.

"What?" I asked, looking about myself, blinking rapidly. I was in... my dressing room.

"Allie! You haven't been sitting there since rehearsal ended, right? I mean, I just came by because I forgot my new purse!" Tawni exclaimed. I glanced at the time, shocked to see it was after eleven.

"Crap!" I mumbled. Tawni stared at me.

"Seriously, Allie? How can you sit on that rickety thing for hours?" She asked me. I was, by the way, sitting on the wooden chair I'd tried to throw at Chad the other day, not the comfy chair.

"I fell asleep," I admitted sheepishly. Tawni just rolled her eyes and picked up the purse she'd been gushing over... Ugh, who cares about some French designer?

Tawni shook her head at my bleary expression, not bothering to try and wake me up enough for me to go home. I tried to roll to my side, then promptly fell on the floor.

Oh yeah. I'd been sitting on a chair.

"Ouch," I muttered, rubbing my wrist. I rolled to my feet, wincing as my leg cramped up. I searched around for my bag, sighing in relief as I found it tucked under my vanity.

I glanced at my phone as I walked out, grimacing as I saw the _'9 missed calls' _and _'14 new messages received'_.

"Hey look, I'm popular..." I mumbled, unlocking my phone. The calls were a mix from Chad and Mom, and the messages were from Lucy, Blake, Chad and... Amy? (**iluvchanny13, this is her!)**

I frowned. Why was Amy texting me? I flipped through the new messages, giggling at chain-mails from Lucy, whining from Chad, update's from Blake... but I stopped before I reached the message from Amy. I couldn't read it.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I suddenly realized I'd already reached the parking lot. Hmm. Time flies when you're reading texts (and avoiding evil).

I started the car, grateful for the hot air blowing through the fan- it helped with the goose bumps that had suddenly risen on my arms. I yawned, glancing at the clock, and groaning as I realized it was already twenty past eleven. _Crap_.

Like it was on cue, Taylor Swift's _Better Than Revenge_ started playing from my phone (**PS I'm listening to that right now :D)**

My blood went cold. That was Amy's ringtone.

_Don't answer it. Don't answer it._ I thought firmly. Strange, I suddenly couldn't look at my bag, where my phone was. Unconsciously, I started to push my foot down on the accelerator. My eyes filled with tears, and streets blurred as I went past- twenty miles over an LA speed limit. I glanced at the windows, recoiling from the blurred line. I glanced down at my feet, and saw, in the dim glow from the radio, that my foot was pressing the pedal almost flat. I eased up, not particularly wanting to be arrested for speeding. At that thought, I glanced out the window, but there were no cops in sight.

I breathed a sigh of relief, happy as my apartment block came into sight. I stumbled out of the car and up the stairs, preparing for my mother's wrath. I opened the door tentatively.

"SONNY MUNROE!" My mother yelled. "WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT CURFEW!" My lips trembled.

"I'm sorry, Mom..." I whispered, hanging my head. "It's just..."

"No, don't play your innocent act! Don't pull the waterworks! I've told you time and time again, I'm so sick of you breaking the rules over and over again!" My mom yelled.

I bit my lip as tears blurred my eyes. Something in me, stopped trembling, and I looked up and met her eyes silently as she ranted on, waiting for her to be finished. I pushed all emotion away, determined not to cry. I just felt so pathetic, and I wanted to change it all. I could see her surprise behind her eyes as I stared her down, but she continued to rant. As her words died out, I nodded and walked wordlessly to my room, closing the door softly rather than slamming it like I wanted to. I sat down on the bed and stared at my hands in my lap, blinking away the tears I refused to shed. Because one little fight wasn't worth the heartbreak. I'd gone through so much more without a wince on the outside.

After my hurt subsided, I crawled stiffly into bed, ignoring my phone which was singing Chad's ringtone. I was dead tired...

_S/W/A/C/~/D/I/K/Y/?_

The next day, I was exhausted. I dragged myself out of bed listlessly and ate breakfast, not really focusing on what I was eating.

I walked into work, yawning and rubbing my eyes.

"Allie? Whoa, you're a mess!" Tawni said as I dragged my feet through our dressing room door.

"Gee, thanks." I said sarcastically, fighting another yawn as I stretched my arms.

Her eyes softened.

"What's up, Allie?" She asked gently. I was surprised at her concern- she'd been a little stiff with me since the whole James thing.

I met her soft eyes, and knew I could never explain. I hadn't even told Chad about the whole Amy thing. It hurt too much, the cuts too fresh.

"Nothing, Tawn. Nothin' at all." I said, putting a sweet smile on my face. She nodded, relieved.

"Alright. I was worried for a second there!" She said laughing lightly.

I laughed along, swinging behind my dressing room curtain, getting changed into clothes more suitable for the studios- I'd slept in this morning, and was just in sweats and a huge t shirt that used to be my brother's.

"Take this!" I heard Tawni call, and looked up just in time to see a light blue summer dress (**like the one at the start of Sonny with a 100% Chance of Meddling, with the zip and the cardigan... that dress is soo pretty!)** flying over the top of the curtain. I stared at the pile of soft fabric on the floor at my feet.

"No, Tawn, I can't take your dress!" I exclaimed, though that wasn't the reason I didn't want to wear it.

"Yes, you can! You'll look amazing!" She insisted. I shook my head frantically.

"No, Tawni! I... I don't look good in dresses!"

"You'll look great. What do you have against dresses?"

_If only you knew..._

"I... I just don't want to..." I stuttered, thinking of the un-faded marks on my legs with horror.

"Alright, hold on..." She muttered. Suddenly, some more fabric flew over the curtain- a white cardigan and tights.

"There, that'll cover you up." Tawni's voice wasn't accusing, or even suspicious. It was... understanding. To anyone eavesdropping, they'd think we were talking about too-revealing clothing, the type that boy-stealers were. But I could hear in her voice exactly what kind of 'cover-up' she meant.

"Thanks, Tawni." I said simply. No explanation required or given.

I slipped the dress on, pulling the tights on, and sliding the cardie over my shoulders. I stepped out of the dressing room, and Tawni squealed.

"Oh, you look _so_ good! Like a real girl!" She sang, clapping. I rolled my eyes.

"Again, gee, thanks." I muttered, then turned to face myself in the mirror.

My mouth fell open as I looked over the stranger in the mirror. The dress was soft and flattering, without being slutty. The pale blue made my hair look darker, and the white lay perfectly against it. I bit my lip against the sudden emotion as I met the eyes in my reflection. It had been so long since I'd looked so girly and... _young_. But at the same time, I looked more like... me.

"Thanks, Tawni," I said again, but this time... this time, it was genuine. I was missing something though. I smiled sadly at my expression, and turned and pulled a pair of light blue Converse on. I wasn't ready to let go... not completely.

Not yet

_S/W/A/C/~/D/I/K/Y/?_

Rehearsal seemed more relaxed than usual. The guys eyed my dress with some surprise, but didn't comment. Maybe my expression was too fragile to mess with. Maybe they were too shocked. Whatever.

My sketches seemed a bit more alive...

It was like something in me and come loose and free, along with the soft material that whirled around my knees as I walked. I drifted through rehearsal easily, and it passed quickly. I walked to lunch, glad I hadn't let Tawni talk me into wearing heels. I was doing fine well in my Converse. The Falls cast wasn't anywhere about, which was, in a way, a good thing... It meant I wouldn't go running into his arms like I wanted to. Like I needed to. I swallowed, and looked away from their empty table.

During our afternoon/evening rehearsal, Marshall's phone went off.

"It's Ma!" He yelled reverently. We all just rolled our eyes as he rushed off, jamming the phone to his ear eagerly. I sank down in the comfy couch we'd been using for the new sketch, yawning. My shoulders relaxed. I was so... tired...

_I walked up to mansion and knocked on the door, grinning. Some person I'd never met answered the door._

"_Hey, is, uhm... is Chad in?" I asked. She stared at me._

"_The Cooper's left three days ago, you stupid little girl!" She screamed, and suddenly it wasn't a kind faced old woman in front of me anymore. It was Charles._

"_And you'll never see him again, because he's finally realized what a piece of crap you are!" He yelled, cackling._

"_Yeah, Sonny you're so ugly, who would want to look at you?" The figure leaning out the door changed again. It was Amy now. She giggled. I shuddered and stepped back._

_Suddenly I was running, and I arrived at the studios. I blinked and I was in mine and Chad's secret room. Chad was there._

"_Oh, Chad, thank goodness!" I yelled, throwing my arms around him. He didn't hug me back. He threw me off._

"_What do you want, Sonny?" He snapped._

"_Ch- Chad?" I stuttered, hoping it wasn't him. That this wasn't happening._

"_Yes, obviously. Just so you know, I'm leaving. I can't bear spending another second with your stupid, ugly face. You're so stupid. I can't believe I spent so many years of my life with you. What a waste!" He sneered. I was crying now._

"_No, Chad... why are you doing this?"_

"_Because I hate you. Everything that happened with my dad was your entire fault!" He screamed._

"_No... No... I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I sobbed. He slapped me across the face, hard. I clutched my cheek, shocked._

"_Chad..." The word was barely a whisper._

"_Bye Sonny." He spat. I stared after him while he left._

"_No!" I screamed. "Don't leave me..."_

_But all that was left was silence._

"Allie!" I sat up, gasping, tears streaming down my face.

"Allie, it's just a dream, shhh, shhh!"

"Allie, come on, it's okay, everything's okay..."

"No..." I mumbled. My eyelids snapped open. I could see my cast's concerned faces staring at me. Marshall must not be back, though.

I could feel sweat beading my forehead, sticking my hair to my face. The dress was damp, stuck to me with sweat.

"You're okay, Allie." Tawni murmured, worry clear on her face.

"NO!" I screamed. I stood up unsteadily, and pushed through them.

"Allie!" They all yelled after me, as I tore out of the room. There was... I just had to check...

I stumbled into the Mackenzie Falls set. The director stared at me in shock, but Chad and the other actor's weren't about. I ran past her and to Chad's dressing room. It was empty.

"No... don't be gone, don't be gone, please don't be gone!" I cried. I leaned my forehead against the door, closing my eyes against the panic bubbling in the back of my throat. (**I just got back from hockey, and my hands are numb! Man, it's cold today! Listening to We The Kings too :D) **

I staggered off in the direction of our secret room, my head buzzing. There was a thudding pain in my temple, and my heart was thumping against my chest.

I stumbled through the door. I saw Chad lying on the couch, motionless.

"CHAD!" I half-yelled. After my dream, I was afraid he was dead or something.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Wussappenin'?" He mumbled. I ran over and tumbled into his arms.

"Chad!" I cried, clinging to him.

"Uhm, hi, Sonny..." He said, bleary and confused. I breathed him in, hugging him tightly.

"Something wrong?" He asked, sounding slightly amused. I sighed in relief, closing my eyes and pressing my face into his chest.

"Had a nightmare," I mumbled, peaceful, although I was pretty sure he was going to notice the tears still streaking my face soon.

"Sonny?" He asked, staring down at me as if he'd only just noticed my presence. Despite the fact that I'd been curled up in his lap for the last three minutes. I looked up, meeting his gaze.

"Hi." I said quietly. His eyes took in my face- my brown hair stuck to my forehead, the tears silently streaming down my cheeks, the circles which had no doubt formed under my eyes.

"What happened?" He asked. I bit my lip and glanced down at my lap for a second, the flicked my eyes back to his.

"Told you." I lied lightly. "I had a nightmare." I tried to sound off hand, but I was sure he'd noticed the slight tremor in my voice. He jiggled his knee, causing me to shake.

"About...?"

"About... about you." I mumbled. His mouth fell open and I lost the ability to look him in the eyes.

"Me?" He asked finally.

"I... I dreamed that you... that you left... that you left my again." I stuttered, staring determinedly at my lap. I could feel his gaze practically burning a hole in my skin.

Suddenly, he pulled one of his hands from where it rested on my back, and pushed my chin up gently. He raised his other hand carefully and wiped my fringe back, not flinching at how disgusting I must have looked, all sweaty and tired.

"Sonny." He said softly. "I promised you... I'll never, ever do that again. Not ever." He said seriously. His grip on my chin tightened and he held on, forcing me to meet his gaze. My eyes filled again, and fresh tears leaked down my face. I wasn't sure what emotion fuelled them this time around, however.

A light smile lit up his face, one side of his lips tugging up at the corner.

"I couldn't do that to _you_, never mind what it would do to _me_!" He said; smiling for a second longer, before both our faces fell at the thought. Another permanent separation would surely kill us both.

"You promise?" I asked, my voice betraying just how fragile I was at the minute. The mere thought of Amy had unhinged me pretty quickly.

His eyes widened at my insecurity, but his eyes softened and a blinding smile lit his face.

"I promise." He confirmed, linking our fingers together.

Our eyes met in perfect understanding, just gazing into each other's eyes for a few seconds, allowing all the little things that seemed to sappy to say flowing between us. I finally let a small smile tug the corners of my lips, and he grinned.

"There's the Munroe smile!" He sang. I kept the smile on my face, though bitter memories were trying to drag me down. I didn't _need_ to remember anything. The events of my past couldn't reach me here; this was my now, my present, and I was perfectly fine.

"Now," Chad said with a small grin on his face. "Why in the name of Henry VIII aren't you at rehearsal?" He asked me. I laughed a little at our old joke; one time, Chad's grampa had sat us down and told us a mindless, boring story about that old English King. When we hadn't paid enough attention, he'd dragged us to the library to do research. We actually tried... that is, until we got kicked out for- quote- "giggling too loudly, like a pair of immature two year olds." I giggled as the memories resurfaced. He laughed a little too, his soft, amazing laugh joining in harmony with mine.

"Well... I'm supposed to be at rehearsal." I started.

"I gathered that." He interrupted. I rolled my eyes and hit his arm, but with about as much force as a fluffy pillow. He smirked playfully.

"Yeah, well, Marshall's mother phoned." I paused to shudder. "I swear, the guy's lovely, but his relationship with his mother is creepy." He raised an eyebrow, but I ignored him. "Anyway, he rushed off to take his mom's call, and I'd had a really crappy night's sleep," He opened his mouth to interrupt, concern filling his eyes, but I shoved my small hand over his mouth. "And so, we were doing this sketch with this _really_ comfy couch, and I sat down and um... fell asleep." I felt stupid for falling asleep _again_. "So... yeah. I fell asleep and had a nightmare." I stopped again, a realization coming to me.

"Oh, holy crap!" I half-yelled.

"Your cast?" He asked, grinning.

"Um, yeah, I kinda freaked out and ran." He raised his eyebrows again.

"Why?" He aid curiously.

"I was scared." I admitted quietly. I peeked at him quickly. He was frowning. "Scared that you'd left..." He squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"Well, I'm right here. I think you should head back to your rehearsal before your cast sends out a search party, my dear." I laughed, sliding to my feet. It suddenly dawned on me how much like a couple we must've looked, me sitting on his lap, cuddling close.

"I guess." I muttered, smiling. "See you later?" My voice held so much more than a casual question; I was genuinely, _genuinely_ asking. Pain flickered in his eyes as he registered my insecurity, but he smiled.

"Definitely." He said, grabbing my hand and squeezing it one last time, before I let go and walked out of the room.

I headed back to my dressing room before going to the set. I was unwilling to face my cast after what I'd done. I took a deep breath and faced the mirror.

It wasn't as bad as I'd thought it was going to be. My hair looked a little lank, but Chad's playing with it seemed to have loosened it from my forehead. The dress actually looked perfectly fine- I'd discarded the cardigan earlier when it got too hot while rehearsing. It wasn't my arms I'd wanted to cover, anyway.

I glared past the smile pasted reflexively on my face, properly seeing for the first time, the slight pale tinge under my skin, the depth of the circles under my eyes. Being here had made me better, but it hadn't healed me. Not totally. With Chad back in my life, one set of demons was resolved... another was made stronger, and a new set was created. I couldn't lie to myself- Chad and I would never be exactly the way we'd been... there was always going to be the edge to desperation and longing. We'd never be without the fear of losing one another, not totally. I looked at my eyes in the mirror, noticing the grief. I was smiling, but I just looked so sad.

Why couldn't I move on?

I exhaled heavily, grabbing my small make-up bag. I applied some light make-up, hiding the darkness under my eyes as best as I could. I ran the brush through my hair quickly, making myself a little more presentable. I smiled sweetly at my reflection; sure no one would notice my preoccupation.

I headed back into my set. My cast had their backs to me. I could hear them talking about me, freaking out about where I was. My chest warmed slightly at their concern. I cleared my throat and they all turned.

"Allie!" Zora cried, flinging herself at me and hugging me. Hey, wait, Zora? Maybe she liked me more than I'd thought...

"Hey," I laughed, staggering slightly under her weight. "Did you miss me?" I bantered. I looked up at their relieved eyes. There was worry still plain on everyone's faces, however.

"What happened, Allie?" Tawni asked. I bit my lip. Zora tightened her grip on my waist, and I hugged her back and pattered her head playfully.

"I had a nightmare." I said simply.

"Yeah, we noticed. You looked so scared..." Nico said, concern shining through his face.

"I'm okay... I just... I just went to make a few calls. I'm fine now." I tried to reassure my cast. My friends...

Not looking very reassured, Grady, Tawni and Nico came and joined the hug. I was touched. It felt so good to have so many pairs of arms around me.

"Thanks, guys." I said. We stayed in the hug for a minute, then Marshall came rushing through the door.

"Alright, back to work!" He said. Had he seriously been on the phone the whole time? Jeesh...

Grady started to say something, glancing at me, but I shook my head. He nodded and shut up.

We started rehearsal again. Through my concentration, I could feel Tawni, Nico and Grady's worried eyes on me from time to time. Zora was too young and naïve to be truly concerned. I ignored their eyes, getting on with my work.

As rehearsal drew to a close, I knew my cast were going to try and corner me, get my nightmare out of me. I knew they weren't doing it out of cruelty, but I also knew it was things I could never tell them... and so, I ran out the second rehearsal ended, determined not to get caught.

I ran straight to my dressing room, grabbing my bag and jamming my things in. I searched for my brother's old t shirt, unable to remember where I'd thrown it this morning as Tawni commanded me to wear this dress. It felt like years ago.

Finally, I found it underneath a chair. I searched through the drawers in my vanity for my purse. In the last drawer, I came across a two photos.

One was an old picture, creased and tattered. It had been yanked out of my photo album of me and Chad, I thought, but I didn't remember it. It was a distant shot. We were about ten or eleven, in the park. In fact, we were lying underneath the monkey bars, our hands intertwined. I smiled softly, wondering who had taken the photo- I didn't remember it. The next photo was of very recently; it was a close up, of Chad and me again, smiling and laughing at the camera, my eyes half closed as I laughed hysterically at my best friend's antics. Our faces were very close together, my chin practically on his shoulder. A full grin grew across my face, and I pressed the photos against my chest, remembering every good time with a feeling of pure happiness.

I jumped as Tawni's definitive high heels clicked close to the door of the dressing room. Panicking, I stuffed the photos down the front of the dress, and pulled my bag onto my shoulder, standing up.

Tawni walked into the room, and I made for the door.

"Hi, Tawni, bye Tawni!" I said quickly. She grabbed my arm, pulling me to a stop.

"Allie..." She said. I looked down, realizing I was still wearing her clothes.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll wash the dress and everything else and get it back to you as soon as I can." I promised hurriedly.

"No, it's okay Allie. Keep them. You look... they look really good on you." She said firmly. I gave her a quick smile.

"Thanks, Tawn." I mumbled, too tired to argue. I went to leave again.

"Allie?" Tawni asked again.

"Yes?"

She hesitated for a second, seeming to think about what to say.

"Have a nice night." She muttered. I grinned and waved, trying to cover my confusion.

"Sure." I mumbled. "You too..." And with that, I hurried away. 

Tawni's POV

"Allie?" I asked.

"Yes?" She replied, half turning towards me.

I thought for a minute, thinking of all the many things I wanted to say; how much she'd come to mean to me as a friend, how amazing she was, just by herself. I wanted to her to let me fuss and worry over her. I wanted to take the little traces of worry and bitterness away from behind her eyes. As I'd originally thought, there was definitely something in there deep that was messing her up. Today, I'd discovered she was hiding something about her body; that's why she dressed so... tom-boy-ish-ly. I was scared to know, but more scared by the pain that was keeping a wall between her and the rest of us. I just wanted her to be okay...

Would she ever open up to us?

To me?

**A/N So there we are! To make up for my crappy updating, a super long chapter :) hope you enjoyed it! Yeah, I ran outta steam around page 5... the rest is kinda ramble-y, I know, but it's ok, right? Oh, and before you start fire-balling me with reviews pointing out you don't have a clue about who Blake or Amy are, don't worry- you're not **_**supposed**_** to know. And yes, I've added a lot more crap to Sonny's background, between her childhood with Chad and So Random! Stay tuned folks... it's starting to get interesting ;)**

**Reviews are love!**

**Nangelgirl x**


	29. Mr C's Announcement

**A/N Hello, readers! You have, again, amazed me with your reviews! I love you all! I am currently sitting on ****491**** reviews! Thank you sooo much! It would be amazing, if after this next chapter, I could hit 500 reviews... *hint, hint* ;D**

**Anyhoodle, this chapters shoutout goes to... *drum roll* ChAnNyObSeSsEd! Your review was so nice... and it's really cool when people sit and make predictions in reviews! And to reply to past decembers, because I'm a trend breaker, and I like to be mysterious ;)**

**Oh, and I have a word to say... I think there's someone out there who will get this... ;) and with that, I'll say... LOLLAGE! **

Chapter 30 (**OMW!)**

Mr Condor's Announcement

**Side note: was originally just to be called 'Announcements' but it sounded too author's note-eqsue ;)**

CPOV

The day started off completely average. Shaking off nightmares in the morning, putting on my (stupid) suit for work, did some (idiotic) drama acting, the after lunch, Kat realized that the new script was actually the biggest load of crap we at Mackenzie Falls had heard... and we were experienced with the writer's crap. This was the first time we'd acknowledged it though...

_Flashback:_

_Kat tapped her foot impatiently, her arms folded across her chest as she read through the new script._

"_What do you think guys?" She asked us, her poker face on._

"_Well..." _

"_Um..."_

"_Kat..."_

_We all just mumbled a bit, not really answering. _

"_Yeah, you think it's a load of bull crap don't you?" She asked us evenly. We glanced at each other._

"_Yeah." We said in unison._

"_That decides it then." She announced, smiling mischievously. We watched her warily. I burst out laughing as she ripped the script up the middle and threw the piece in the air._

"_DAVE!" She yelled. The flustered-looking script writer rushed in._

"_Write a new script." He opened his mouth, but Kat cut him off. "It's for tomorrow morning." She said, smiling winningly. He stared at her in horror, and then at the strips of paper on the floor._

"_What are you waiting for, Dave? GO!" Portlyn said, giving him a helpful shove_.

_Kat turned back to us._

"_You can have the afternoon off." She announced bluntly, then turned and clicked out of the room. We cheered, and then dispersed our different ways_.

_Flashback ends._

I chuckled at the memory. I ended up at my (and Sonny's) secret room. I was tired from the nightmares from the previous night, and Charles' reaction to my sneaking out. I soon fell asleep.

Now, I stared down at the small, slim brunette who was hiding her face in my chest.

"I had a nightmare," She mumbled. She looked up to meet my gaze, and I was struck by the tears quietly making their way down her face. She looked like heck. She looked like she'd got about five minutes of sleep. I wondered why she'd come to me _now_ about a nightmare, rather than first thing this morning.

"About...?" I asked, shifting my weight, accidentaly jostling the girl sitting on my lap, who currently looked more fragile than glass.

"About... about you." She said, so quiet her words were almost imperceptible. _Would_ have been imperceptible, if we hadn't been sitting so close, or if I wasn't so attuned to her voice.

The impact of her words hit me, and my mouth fell open and I stared at her idiotically for a few seconds.

Finally, I choked out a response.

"Me?" My voice sounded like my throat was filled with broken glass.

She stared down at her lap, her eyes filling with tears to join the ones not yet dried on her cheeks.

"I... I dreamed that you... that you left... that you left my again." She said, and her soft, insecure voice broke my heart. Tears pooled in my eyes but I blinked them away, determined to be strong for the girl who so obviously needed me right now. I tucked my hand under her chin and pulled her face up so she'd meet my eyes. Hey dark hair was stuck to her forehead, and the circles under her eyes were scaring me, yet I'd never seen anyone so beautiful. I pushed her hair away from her forehead, my heart aching as I took in the sadness in her eyes. I wanted to heal her. I wanted to remove the deep pain and worry from her face. I held her eyes with mine.

"Sonny. I promised you... I'll never, ever do that again. Not ever." I said, with conviction. She tried to look away, but I held on, with both my eyes and my hand. Tears poured down her face and whether they were from pain or not, I really couldn't tell.

I smiled playfully. "I couldn't do that to _you_," I started, then continued, a little more seriously. "Never mind what it would do it to _me_!" I managed to hold on to my happy smile for a bit, then it slid from my face as I thought about it. Losing her again... I knew I wouldn't be able to bear it. I wouldn't survive. And from the haunted look in her eyes, I could almost believe that she'd be lost without me as well. Of course, it could never affect me as deeply as it'd affected me. She'd been able to struggle through the past few years; she'd held onto herself. I had lost so much of what I'd used to be... only her presence near me was pulling it back.

Her eyes met mine, her expression brutally fragile.

"You promise?" She begged. My eyes widened. As much as she trusted me, Sonny was usually just... so strong. It's wasn't like her to be insecure. I shuddered at the thought of the pain that losing her again would cause. It had always been my unspoken assumption that she didn't need me even a _fraction_ of the amount I needed her. I had the sudden certainty that she wasn't telling me the whole truth about her dream...

I pushed the small, nagging doubts to the back of my mind and focused on my best friend. I needed to help her. To remove that haunted, hurt look from her eyes...

"I promise." I said softly, my voice full of all the reassurance and conviction I could manage. I intertwined my fingers with her soft, cold fingers.

Our eyes met, and as always I felt the connection flow between us, reassuring each other of all the things we couldn't say.

Finally, her lips turned up at the corners.

"That's the Munroe smile!" I said jubilantly. It was true though. Sonny's mom, female cousin, and possibly her brother's, _all_ smiled that way- a huge, infections smile. The smile that I loved.

"Now, why in the name of Henry VIII aren't you at rehearsal?" I asked, suddenly feeling like an eleven year old. It felt good. In a weird way...

She giggled at that, and my heart soared at the sound. It was amazing to hear her happy again. **(Yeah, that's why your heart's all over the place, Chad. *snort*) **

"Well, I'm supposed to be at rehearsal." She said.

"I gathered that," I said sarcastically, snorting. She whacked me, but really, she's a softie... It didn't hurt.

In typical Sonny-fashion she explained all about Marshall and her nightmare. I couldn't help but notice the gaping hole in the story- where did her cast think she was? She fell silent, thinking.

"Oh, holy crap!" She blurted suddenly. Evidently, she'd noticed the same problem I had.

"Your cast?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She nodded, swallowing.

"Um, yeah, I kinda freaked out and ran." I raised my eyebrows, the grin sliding from my face. Freaked out...?

"Why?" I asked, worried about what I might hear.

"I was scared." She said, in that quiet voice she uses when she's afraid of the reaction her words may cause. "Scared that you'd left..." She clarified. I frowned. Never, ever, _ever_ leaving again... look what a mess I'd made! I tightened my grip on her cold hand.

"Well, I'm right here." I reassured again. "I think you should head back to your rehearsal before your cast sends out a search party, my dear." I added, smirking. She laughed; the best sound in my world.

"I guess. See you later?" The laughter drained out of her words for that last part, and pain crackled down my spine as I realized that she was still truly scared I'd leave... As if I could do that. She seemed to think I was a whole lot stronger than I was. I grinned up at her.

"Definitely," I said, securing her fingers once again. She smiled at me, before untangling our hands and walking away.

I continued to stare at the door even after she'd left. I was truly worried for her. There was something she wasn't telling me... whether she was secretly emo, or just completely devoid of faith in my word, I couldn't tell. I didn't care so much about _what_ she was hiding; I just wanted her to trust me. To talk to me. To let me fix things for her...

I was pained by the fact that she thought I could leave her again. I shuddered away from the memories of the emptiness of the last few years; the years without my Sonny. My bestest friend. I was worried about her... Heck, it wasn't even rational. So she'd had a nightmare. I had nightmares most nights! I was much more protective of her than I needed to be. It wasn't like she needed me to step in front of her; she was a strong person. Someone to look up to. On the other hand, I'd known her since she was seven years old... I'd seen her fall apart before. I'd seen her worry over stupid things. I'd helped her through whatever I could. Not worrying over her _wasn't_ an option for me; it was just something I did. Like... breathing. Me not worrying about Sonny was _impossible_. No matter how much she didn't need it. No matter how much she didn't like me to worry. When you've seen someone cry just because they accidentally ripped a daisy, it sort of ruins your ability to think of them as _strong_.

Not that I thought of Sonny as weak... Just in need of protecting. From me. Other people probably didn't understand the fact that no, Sonny _shouldn't_ watch a gory movie, because she'd probably spend roughly four hours throwing up.

_Flashback;_

_*ten years old*_

_I glanced over to see if Sonny was scared of the movie. Not that I was scared... Guys don't get scared..._

_Her face was scarily pale. The sight of her looking as pale as a corpse was a lot scarier than the movie._

"_You okay?" I asked. She shook her head, her lips firmly pressed together. I felt the nausea rolling off her in waves. I gauged her expression for a moment, and then scooped her up in my arms quickly. I ran to the bathroom with her in my arms, not caring how much noise we made, even though my mother didn't strictly know we were up. She was, as usual, ridiculously light. I set her down on the floor as gently as I could, just in time for her to lean forward and throw up violently into the toilet. My nose wrinkled in disgust, but instead of running for my mom, I sat down as close to her as the size of the room would provide. I grabbed one of her hands, and held her pretty hair out of the way while she continued to be sick. Eventually, the vomiting died out, and she slumped against me, absolutely exhausted. I ignored the smell and just tried to take her of her, copying what my mom did whenever I was sick. She leaned up to throw up occasionally, but mostly just leaned against me and whimpered._

_That's how Vanessa found us a few hours later, curled up on the bathroom floor. She came in just in time to witness Sonny moaning loudly, then getting up on her knees and throwing up while I patted her back. She ran to get Mom, who, instead of yelling at us when she noticed the DVD in the TV, gently tried to get me to go to bed while she took care of my best friend. I refused._

"_It's _me_ she needs to look after her, not you." I'd snapped. "I know her so much better!" Sonny chose that moment to throw up, and I turned to her instead of staring my mom down. After a few seconds of consideration, Mom left with nothing but a _

"_Get me if you need anything."_

_And so my already over-protective behaviour towards Sonny was sealed_.

_Flashback ends._

I grimaced, then smiled at the memory. That was the point when my mom had started going 'Chad, I'm taking Allison back to her house,' and going 'Chad, carry Sonny back home, she's fallen asleep on the couch.' (Or alternatively, the bed/floor/table/kitchen counters/in the garden/other...) My lips twitched. Good times. After a few hours of reminiscing and thoughts revolving my best friend, I realized it was time to go home. I stood up and groaned, stretching my arms. I wanted to go see Sonny, but I knew this was a seriously bad idea- both because of our casts, and because of the new rules Charles had installed after my sneaking out. I had to get home.

I drove the way home, listening to 'Don't You Fake It'- the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus CD Sonny had bought for me. I smiled a little bitterly as I thought of that- when Sonny was younger, she had a much girlier taste in music. And in clothes. And in... actually, having a male best friend had sadly ruined most of the girlieness for her. Why force your best friend play with dollies when he can teach you to skateboard?

But it made me sad in a weird way to think of Sonny when she was little(er), dancing around to music like Hilary Duff, and Raven Symone... (**Lizzie MaGuire and That's So Raven! Lol. Please tell me I spelt MaGuire and Symone right?)** And wearing her brightest dresses. The knee length dress she'd been wearing was the first dress I'd seen her in since she came to Hollywood. She suited it, the colour going perfectly against her skin... _Stop right there,_ I told myself firmly. Thinking of my best friend as a... as a _girl_ was weird for me. I couldn't help it though, I wished she'd wear dresses more often...

_Ahhhh_. I fought the desire to hit my head off the steering wheel. Being overprotective was one thing, I couldn't start drooling over her as well... Ugh. When did having a female best friend get so hard? I shook my head, then turned the CD up ridiculously loud to block out my (disturbing) thoughts.

Soon, I arrived home. My breath caught as I saw Mom's car backing out of the driveway, and I saw all of my sisters in the car. I also saw that Charles' car was quite clearly still there. I swallowed, wondering how the heck Charles managed to get rid of them most nights. Wondering how they didn't suspect that _something_ was going on.

I walked up to my front door, fighting the desire to run. Run far away and then never come back... Wait, no, taboo thought... I couldn't leave Sonny...

I opened the door. "I'm ho-ome!" I called half-heartedly. Charles descended down the stairs slowly. He smiled at me.

"I'm glad you're home, son." He said. The usual knot of terror formed in my stomach at the sight of him. I wanted to act normally, but I was rooted to the spot. He walked towards me, still smiling.

"How was your day?" That's what he always did. Opened with polite talk. He was always so polite... I swallowed again.

"Fine." I said, hoping a short response would stop fear from shaking my voice. No such luck.

"Did you see your little girlfriend?" _Darn him_. Charles knew the only way to get me angry was by mentioning Sonny. It got me riled up. He used that as an opening... The way he talked about her made my skin crawl.

It sickened me that this was all a game to him.

But despite myself, I could feel the anger swell up in my chest, clouding rational thought.

"She's not my girlfriend. She's my best friend." I said, fighting to keep my voice quiet. He enjoys it when I scream at him. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"Come with me, Chad." Charles said, gesturing to me and starting to walk up the stairs. _No._ I thought, but my feet moved after him of their own accord.

I followed him into the empty room, the one my mom was remodelling. She'd decided we needed a guest room. My mind babbled, trying to avoid the panic and the danger ahead. My breath stopped as Charles locked the door behind us. He turned back to me, and his 'fatherly' smile grew, 'til he was basically baring his teeth at me. Why? Why had my mother married this repulsive, creepy man? He steeped towards me, his teeth glittering against the light. He kept coming. Closing in. I whimpered, unable to hide my fear any longer. Suddenly, he hit the wall, just a few inches away from my head. As soon as he raised his hand I had flinched to the side. I trembled in fear.

"Why, Charles? Why are you doing this?" I moaned.

"Because you're an ungrateful brat." He said, like it was a compliment. The only times he sounded _insulting _was when he was drunk... and angry.

"I can stop you. I'll tell them. The authorities... Heck, I'll even just tell the paparazzi! They'll get the story around plenty, and you'll be spending the rest of your life in _prison_. Where all the other criminals will be smart enough to see through your 'perfect man' act, and give you all the _crap you deserve!" _ I found that I was yelling in his face. I expected him to yell, scream, hit me, react _somehow_. But he just kept smiling.

"You won't do that," He promised, his voice full of confidence.

"And why _not?_" I yelled, beyond controlling myself now.

"Because, my dear little Chad, if you do... I know people. I'll get them to get Vanessa... Esme... little Hayley," I flinched. "That's right, Hayley is the favourite sister isn't she?" He laughed. I gritted my teeth. "And your mother... just because she is my wife, does not mean I won't hurt her if I have to." He flashed a wide grin. "And of course, most of all, I'll get them to go after Sonny... dear, sweet little Sonny. Your little girlfriend. Oh, yes, do not doubt me, Chad. I'd do it," He finished, grinning. He looked pleased with himself, his expression satisfied as he took in the horror on my face. I couldn't save myself- not at that cost. I thought of Nessa, Hayles, Ez, Mom... _Sonny_... at the hands of this... this... _thing_. I couldn't do it. I'd take whatever pain thrown at me, as long as they were safe... out of harm's way.

I slumped back against the wall, my eyes closing in defeat.

"Fine. Do whatever you want to me. _But leave my family alone_." I choked out. The thought of him near them...

I opened my eyes, just in time to see Charles' grin of victory, before he started the usual torture.

_S/W/A/C/~/D/I/K/Y/?_

I woke up stiff the next morning. I groaned at the sight of my face in the mirror, and started applying the make up to cover the marks from last night- I mean, from the fight I'd gotten into, over my little sister. And James. That seemed so long ago now...

I was late into the work the next morning. I forced a grin at Sonny when we passed each other in the hall, but I wasn't sure if she bought it.

"Hey, Chad, my man!" Skylar had greeted me, then punched my arm. It took all my strength not to wince, or better, scream.

Near the end of rehearsal, an announcement was made over the inter-com.

_Could the casts of Mackenzie Falls and So Random! report to Mr Condor's office as soon as lunch starts, I repeat, could casts of Mackenzie Falls and So Random! report to Mr Condor's office as soon as lunch starts... Thank you_.

My mind whirled as I thought of what Condor wanted _now_. Knowing him, nothing good.

_S/W/A/C/~/D/I/K/Y/?_

*Lunch*

My cast and I headed to Mr Condor's office slowly. I sank down in the comfiest chair I could see. Mr Condor glared unnecessarily at us as we waited for the Randoms and Sonny to arrive. Just as Sonny entered my mind, my phone went off, singing the intro to Taylor Swift's _Haunted_. I got some weird looks for that, which I ignored as I pulled my phone out of my pocket to read the message. I was already suspicious; only one person had that ringtone.

_From: Charlie the Idiot_

_To: My ignorant step-son_

_Remember- breathe a single word, especially to your little girlfriend, and I'll destroy them all._

I gulped, fear and panic forcing their way into my throat. I was sincerely hoping the blood hadn't left my face.

"Chad? You alright? You've gone pale." Portlyn said, looking worried. Looks like my hopes were ignored.

"I'm... I'm fine." I said, but my voice was rough. Concern entered my face, and I felt Skylar lean over my shoulder to see what was on my phone that had freaked me so thoroughly, but I slid it into my pocket before he could see. That would ruin everything and my family and... Sonny, my light in this stupid, messed up world, would be hunted down. I felt sick at the thought.

Thankfully, the Randoms came in that moment, before my annoying cast could question me any further. Honestly, I _knew_ they were just concerned for me, but I was afraid and paranoid at that particular moment in time. Could you blame me?

I tried to keep my eyes on the floor as they entered, but I couldn't help glancing up as I heard the familiar pad of her footsteps, and the familiar smell of her perfume washed through the room. I met Sonny's eyes for just a second, before determinedly looking back at my feet.

Her eyes had been suspicious, I'd realized, groaning internally. I suddenly realized the seat layout was the exact same as last time, which meant one of the Randoms wasn't getting a seat.

"Sit! There! Same place as last time, Munroe!" Yay, Sonny had to sit on me again! Note my sarcasm. When you're keeping a whopping big secret from your best friend so they won't get destroyed, and they're already suspicious after they've seen you for about thirty seconds. Honestly, I wouldn't have cared if not for the secret thing, and the fact that my leg was in a _really_ bad condition after last night. I looked up warily to see her approach me, her expression unsure.

"Oh, whatever... She can sit here, I'll stand." I announced tiredly, standing up.

All eyes in the room stared at me in shock.

"Chad Dylan Pooper are you being a... gentleman?" Tawni exclaimed, looking like her eyes were about to fall out of her head.

I sent a very quick, _very_ apologetic glance at Sonny before answering her.

"'Course not. I just don't want her to sit on me." I snapped. Everyone still looked a little doubtful, including Sonny, but she quickly rearranged her features into a scowl.

"Trust me, Pooper, I'm not insulted. Now I don't have to sit on you... I might be affected by your stupidity!" She snapped. "And it's probably better this way guys, at least I won't rip his head off." She added, sneering and turning to her cast. They all shrugged and nodded. Doubt sorta left people's faces, and they turned to face Mr Condor again. Sonny sent me a look that said '_You better have a really good explanation for this_', then sat down. I glanced around myself, then folded to the floor, crossing my legs in front of me. There wasn't really much room, so I ended up half leaning against Sonny's leg. I was pretty sure no one noticed, especially as her fingers brushed lightly over the top of my head.

"Do I have everyone's attention?" Mr Condor half yelled at us. We nodded boredly, used to his behaviour.

"Well, I have an important announcement to make. As the _feud_ is still going on," Here he stopped to glower at Sonny and I, as did at least half of the other actors in the room. Happily, they didn't seem to notice the fact that I was now pretty much using Sonny's leg as a pillow.

"We, as in, _I_ have decided that you are all going to go on a little bonding trip." Everyone went very still at the words 'bonding trip'.

"That's right." Mr Condor nodded, noticing our shocked faces. "_Bonding trip_. Across the country. You'll be visiting other states- _with _the other cast- and you will _learn to get along_. I'm making too much money off of you all for you to kill each other." He glowered at us again. We were still staring at him.

"You will be partnered up with someone from the other cast, and you will spend most of your time with that person. Some people's hometowns will be visited, others not. Clear?" Everyone nodded, knowing better than to argue. "You will be paired with the person you fight with the most. So the couples are," Everyone glowered at the word _couple_, "Nico and Chasity, Grady and Marta, Skylar and Tawni, Zora and Devon and..." He paused, but everyone knew what was coming. "And _Sonny and Chad_." Everyone turned to stare at us, and we changed our expressions to horror at the exact same time. Obviously, we didn't mind. There was a dead silence in the room.

"The trip will be beginning in a few weeks, spanning across a few weeks." No one said anything.

"Well, what are you all waiting for? GO!" He roared.

We left.

Well, a bonding trip? With the Randoms?

This was going to be interesting...

**A/N Crappy ending, I know. I'm sorry there's not more Channy moments, but I did make Chad hopelessly confused xD I know the 'bonding trip' idea is over-used, but bear with me, okay? The events that actually happen will be **_**original**_**. So tell me whether you loved it, hated it, wanted more Channy... you know what to do... Review! **

'**Cos of course, REVIEWS ARE LOVE!**

**Nangelgirl x**


	30. Mistakes are Made

**A/N Heyyyy guys :D I'm starting this so as to avoid the A3 art piece I may or may not have due for tomorrow! Yay! I'm also watching a video of Demi singing live. Just sayin', she is AMAZING *heart***

**Shoutout to BethanyRose1796** **for reviewing every little thing of mine she read. I swear, she reviewed EVERYTHING, even my not-so-read one-shots like Bubblewrap and Leaving Wisconsin :D She's lovely, so this chappie's for you :P**

**I have a story recommendation, too... 'Boy Meets Girl, Girl Meets World,' by past decembers. It's awesome (how about that, Bridgit, free advertising!)**

Chapter 31

Where Mistakes are Made

SPOV

A trip? Across America? With my Chad?

Well, heck...

I wasn't sure how it was possible for me to feel so many different emotions over one thing, but I felt a _lot_.

First up, joy. I was getting to go on an awesome trip with my friends! Then, there was fear; Chad was my best friend, and we were partnered. How in the name of the world where we going to keep up the pretence of hating each other when we were jumping up and down holding hands like a pair of excited five year olds? Then, there was excitement. I'd always wanted to visit all over America. Now, I was getting the chance to go somewhere other than Wisconsin, Texas, and Hollywood. I wanted to see it all! (**Has anyone seen the video of Demi singing a cover of 'You Give Love a Bad Name' by Bon Jovi? It's awesome!)** And, on the last note, I felt a bit unsure about how my mom would take the news that my boss was pulling me out of the state for a few weeks for a _bonding trip_. My mom thought we could and should be able to get along without the fuss...

Yeah, right.

I was vaguely aware of the warmth of Chad's head leaning against my calf as Mr Condor nattered on and on and on... but I'd lost interest. Finally he threw us out. We left the room slowly, trickling out one by one.

**(Going to do my art homework... I'll finish **_**this**_** later)**

**(I'm back! :D)**

I was one of the last to leave. I leant against the wall beside Mr Condor's office door. As I'd hoped, Chad was the last to leave. The last of his cast mates were just turning the corner as he came out, which left me free to talk to my best friend. Or rather, yell at him. I watched as he left the room, shuffling his feet and staring dejectedly at the floor. Something was definitely up.

I snagged his arm. He stumbled and twisted around to look at me, his blue eyes dull but surprised. The look in his eyes scared me a little. I'd been ready to scream at him for ignoring me all day, but his almost... fragile exterior put any such idea out of my mind.

"Chad?" My voice was originally meant to be a snap, but it came out as a question.

"Sonny." He acknowledged me weakly, biting his lip. My fingers were suddenly refusing to let go of his arm.

"Are... are you okay?" I asked, closing my eyes briefly, silently praying for him not to be crumbling apart when I opened them again. My prayer was answered no, as my eyelids flickered open, and I took in the tired circles under his eyes, the slump in his shoulders and the defeated look in his eyes.

"I'm fine." He answered me, just a little too quickly. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Chad..."

"Just... just let it go, okay, Alison? I don't need your stupid help!" He said coldly. He jerked his arm out of my grip, and my hand fell to my side as he freed himself. My jaw dropped at his coldness.

"Chad?" I asked, my voice steady despite what I was feeling.

"For once, just _stop_ meddling. I don't have the patience right now. You're always so... so... ugh!" He ranted. My hands flew to my chest, over where my heart was, as the words he spoke cracked through the shell I'd built. My eyes filled as his words echoed around in my head, colliding with memories of Amy and building in my head, getting louder until I wanted to scream.

"Sonny?" Chad asked, his voice already full of regret as he met my eyes for the first time. I looked away from his face, unable and unwilling to look at him. "Sonny, I'm so sorry..." But I couldn't do it. I shook my head and got the heck out of there.

_D/I/K/Y~S/W/A/C~C/H/A/N/N/Y/_

(**Now before you kill me, here's that in the lovely CPOV)**

I watched, detached, as everyone left the room. I dragged my feet across the floor as I followed Devon out of the room. My bones were aching from what Charles had done to me last night. I didn't _want_ to move. But I had to.

As I left the room, someone grabbed my arm. I tripped, then started to turn, already knowing, by the feel of her touch, and her scent, exactly who it was. I couldn't gear up enough energy to put on a cheery mask.

I didn't quite look into her eyes, but I could see her peeved expression slip into one of concern within seconds.

"Chad?" She asked, her voice shocked.

"Sonny." I greeted dully, sinking my teeth into my lip as the image of Charles getting her... grabbing her... hurting her... forced its way to the forefront of my mind. I couldn't let her be hurt. Her fingers tightened on my arm, and she looked almost panicked.

"Are... are you okay?" No. No, I am not. I wanted to tell her... everything, but I couldn't let her try and fix this for me. The image of Charles getting his grubby hands on her gave me the sudden compulsion to protect her in a new way... by pushing her away.

"I'm fine." I answered automatically. _Please go away_. But as usual, she ignored my mental pleas, which I'm pretty sure I was clear in my eyes.

"Chad..." She trailed off, unsure of my intention, or her own. Man, were we messed up today. A bleak fury erupted in my chest and clouded my head- particularly the part that usually tells me to watch what I say.

"Just... just let it go, okay, Alison?" I snapped, wanting nothing more than to get her out before it was too late. I was paranoid, I felt like Charles was watching us. Her eyes were wide, concerned. "I don't want your stupid help!" _But I sure do need it._ She flinched slightly. I yanked my arm away from her, which was hard. Her warm touch was comfort, calming. I didn't like losing it. I felt her eyes on me.

"Chad?" She asked, her voice small but unwavering. She still sounded scared. For once, I ignored the need to comfort her. The need to protect her from a bigger threat was too strong. I continued hurting her.

"For once, just _stop_ meddling." I snapped. I saw her eyes brim up with tears, but I still couldn't meet her eyes. They'd break me. I threw every tiny little frustration I'd ever felt over her into my speech. I could never actually snap at her... this was all from since I was seven. "I don't have the patience right now. You're always so... so... ugh!" I finished, glaring at the floor. Hating myself. I saw her back away a few steps unconsciously. She folded her little hands over her heart, and a few tears spilled down her cheeks. She leaned away from me, and suddenly all the remorse I'd been suppressing flooded through me. I couldn't stand hurting her like this, no matter how good my intentions were in the long-run. I'm a sucker for her, especially when she's hurting. So I love my best friend. Sue me!

"Sonny?" I said. As she stared at the floor, I began to feel the full horror of the pain I'd unleashed upon her seeping through. _Stupid, stupid, stupid... look what you've done!_ I suddenly had the feeling that I'd brought back something unpleasant from her past. A single tear rolled off her chin and splashed onto her t-shirt. I wanted to wipe her tears away. Too late...

"Sonny, I'm so sorry..." I said, my voice pleading. I wanted her to look at me and say it was okay. She forgave me. Always.

Which made my regret just that much stronger as she shook her head defiantly, and bolted from the corridor, her hair flying behind her as she ran without looking back.

What had I done?

_D/I/K/Y~S/W/A/C~C/H/A/N/N/Y/_

SPOV

I ran as fast as I could to my dressing room, ignoring surprised actors and actresses as they tried to stop me. I flew into my familiar dressing room couch, hugging my arms to my chest, trying to stop my heart from falling to pieces. I wasn't successful.

Tears were flowing freely, and I rolled over onto my front, curling into a ball. The tears flowed, but no sobs came out. I'd long ago given up on sobbing in association with Amy and Chad memories.

I heard Tawni outside the dressing room door. From what she was yelling, I'd locked the doors. Had I really? I didn't remember doing it. I ignored her until she went away. Soon, my phone started going off. This only served to make my headache worse, and I groaned and shut it off without looking at the Caller ID. I didn't know who it was, and honestly, I didn't care. I didn't want to talk to _anyone_.

After a little while, my tears ran dry. I rolled back into a sitting position, my legs numb. My eyes were drawn to my guitar, tucked discreetly behind my dressing room curtain. Well, my dressing room door was locked, and I needed an outlet...

Almost without thinking, I slid to my feet. I found myself back on the couch, holding the guitar safely in my arms. I was slightly alarmed. I hadn't been doing things so absent-mindedly- finding I was finished doing things just as I'd started them- since Chad had left, and I'd been almost catatonic. _Chad_. I winced as I thought of his earlier words. That had been a boundary I'd never thought he'd cross; my safe harbour had thrown my concern in my face. I gritted my teeth as sobs tried to fight their way up my throat again, and started strumming a beat.

_Oh, oh_

_It took a while to win back my trust_

_But you'll always be a big part of my life_

_Take me down; hold me close through trouble and strife_

_When uh, uh, oh, pain seems to be a must_

_You look at me_

_And you win me over and then suddenly_

_You hit me under_

_Was it so easy, just to throw it all away?_

_Is it all just a pretence, a game that you play?_

_Uh, uh, oh_

_Oh, oh_

_You took me by surprise just there_

_Then you apologised, but_

_You need to accept that your words weren't fair_

_Can't give this one so easily, uh, uh, oh_

_You'll have to prove you make the cut_

_You loom at me_

_And you win me over, and then suddenly_

_You hit me under_

_Was it so easy, just to throw it all away?_

_Is it all just a pretence, a game that you play?_

_Uh, uh, oh_

_Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, oh!_

_Now you will begin to see_

_That there is a piece of me_

_That you can break down_

_Wearing your crown_

_It says 'insensitive'_

_Should I have know better than to give_

_You back the key to my heart?_

_Whoa, oh, oh, oh..._

_Was it breakin' down from the start? _

_You look at me, win me over_

_Hit me under, just throw it away_

_One big pretence, a game we play_

_Uh, uh, oh_

_Time to change the rules_

I slumped back down, half lying, half sitting. Never, not once, in my life had I doubted Chad about our friendship. Sure we'd fought before (and not in our Hollywood-style) but not like _that_. In a sweet, best friend way. In a way that meant we made up five minutes later. I didn't count the times right after I'd arrived in Hollywood. There had been a lot of things to be said.

But just now, he'd thrown me to the ground, then expected me to forgive him without talking it out. He had no chance! I scowled at the thought of him- or, I tried. My lips trembled. _Don't you _dare_ cry_. I stiffened my lips, and tried to ignore my feelings. I'd vented. Now, all I needed was some sheet music. Maybe I'd stuff it in his letter-box, and make a point of the fact that, in juvenile terms, I _was not _speaking to him.

Hey, maybe I was being petty... but he had most certainly crossed a line. Our whole friendship felt like a farce. Like when you realize that that girl who acts like your best friend when she wants something, then slags you off in front off her mates. At least this whole scene hadn't happened in front of our friends. I closed my eyes at the panic that rose at the possibility. I needed him. So, so much. And there _was_ a problem, with him, not just with me. Maybe... maybe he just didn't want to talk. Maybe trying to pull what he was freaked about from him had been a bad idea, and he'd just snapped at me. We all get bad days, right? We all have those days. Ugh, no I'm quoting Hannah Montana... spare me. See, this is why I shouldn't fight with Chad- I end up quoting a half-country half-prissy pop singer. _Eww_. Pop doesn't agree with me. I'm more of a hard-rock kind of girl. Ever since _he_ had left, I had changed a lot. I'd hardened up considerably. I wore jeans and shirts, not dresses and skirts. **(I could not resist rhyming there ;P)** I listened to emo and rock, not pop and country. But when he had returned, I hadn't quite softened. I'd conceded to wearing skirts occasionally, and tank tops. But in my underlying fear, I wasn't letting go too much.

It's a teenage girl's job to be insecure, right? What Chad doesn't realize that that job is a lot more present in my life than it should be. And it's his fault... partially. He was restoring me, healing the cracks, but today it was like he took a hammer down on my self-esteem. It's never pleasant to have someone rant your faults in your face; it's quite another when that someone happens to have a lot of control over how strong you are, how emotional you get. Since the time he left, then I'd returned, our friendship was never simple, never easy. (**Never a clean break, no one here to save me... xD)**

Now we were bi-polar, and sometimes got really mad at each other. I think the 'damage control' button was broken. Sometimes we're just so easy to break apart... I squeezed my eyes shut. I wanted nothing more than to run to his dressing room and forgive him like a total sad, addicted wimp. I needed to be strong... hey, in the long run, it'd be better for us if we worked this out.

But what could he do? My heart was on the floor, lying where he'd ripped it out. It was like it had been a reflex to scream at me. Like it or not, that wasn't so easy to forgive.

So what to do?

**A/N I'm sorry it's short! This chapter's been quite hard to write, but I hope you like it :) I needed to put a little drama in, ya know? :D Anyways, lemme know what you thought... Review! Because as we all know...**

**Reviews are love!**

**Nangelgirl x**


	31. Access Denied!

**A/N AH! I'm on *checks other screen* 551 reviews! Oh! My! Gosh! You people are AMAZING! You know, when I first started Fanfiction, just four short months ago, I wasn't really sure what the heck I was doing, or why I was doing it. It was just after my birthday, and I was confused about a lot of things. One of them was writing. I'd started reading Fanfiction, and I wanted to join, but would I be good enough? You see, I was going through a hard time... emotionally, but you, you lovely, amazing, wonderful people, have been a big part of my recovery. Writing, getting reviews, writing songs... I'm pretty happy where I am right now. I've been a lot more relaxed lately. I'm not exactly as happy as I used to be, but I **_**am **_**getting there. And I owe YOU guys a thanks for that. So... THANK YOU!**

**Oh, look, and I told myself this was gonna be a short author's note... oh well, see you at the bottom!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sonny with a Chance, Sonny Munroe, Chad Dylan Cooper, and various other characters. I also do not own CSI. You'll see :D but I do own the song in the last chapter, which doesn't have a name yet, and the plotline and a few characters from this story! **

**ENJOY!**

Chapter 32

Access Denied

CPOV

I flipped through the new script, going from mild boredom to huge surprise as I realized something; the writers were trying something... _new_! As in, 'never been done before' new. Not the same old, same old love triangle thing that they'd been playing at many different for at least two years!

I read with more interest now, surprised to see that, for the first time, Mack was going to be visited by his mother. His real mother, not the countless fakes- and steps- we'd encountered over the series. I wondered if they'd manage to pull this off, or would it end up as cheesy as the rest? I could only wonder. As I thought about mothers, and parents, my mind wandered back to my own family. Well, my family... the way it used to be. Before _him_.

I remembered back when I was a little kid. I remembered going to the park... that time. When I was just eight years old.

_**Flashback:**_

_It was so hot. So hot! My friend Ron was gone. I was bored. What could I do? I looked around myself, until I had a brilliant idea. I ran for Mom._

"_Mommy, mommy!" I yelled, finding her and tugging on her skirt._

"_What is it, Chaddy, baby?" She asked me, smiling. Mom always smiles._

"_Can we go to the park? Can we? Can we?" I pleaded. Her mouth split into a huge grin._

"_Of course, sweetie. Just let Mommy get some lunch, first, 'kay?" I smiled shyly. _

"_Kay." I ran back out into the garden. It seemed to take ages before Mom came out and took my hand._

"_Ready to go, kiddo?"_

_We had walked, much to my happiness; I loved these streets, and it was too hot to take the car anyway. _

_I ran straight for the swings, thrilled to see they weren't taken over by big kids for once. I swung my legs back, and forth, back, and forth, just as Nessa had taught me. I laughed as the wind played through my hair._

_I waved at my mom. _

"_Look how high I am Mommy!" I yelled, grinning. Soon my legs got tired, and I skidded to a stop and walked away, stumbling slightly as my legs were tingly from swinging. I tottered over to my mom._

"_Hi, Mommy!" I giggled._

"_Hey, sweetie. Aren't there any other kids for you to play with?" She asked. I shook my head._

"_No, Mommy, Ron's in... somewhere, remember?" I asked her._

"_Oh... why don't you make some new friends, baby?" I stuck my thumb in my mouth, much to my mother's amusement._

"_I don't wanna, Mommy." I told her, then turned away and ran back towards the swings, not noticing the slightly sad smile on my mom's face._

_After a while, I got bored, and staggered towards the monkey bars. With the ease of an expert, I pulled myself up on top of them, and then sat, just enjoying how it felt. Like I was on top of the whole world. The warm air was nice, and I could see _everything_. Including the person now also hurtling towards the monkey bars. I watched, surprised, as they curled up underneath the monkey bars, leaning against the wall. I considered my mom's words from earlier, surveying the girl, with her long brown hair, then hooked my legs more securely into the bars, and flipped upside down._

"_Hi!" I said, friendly and polite as I'd been raised to be. The girl started, then looked up. She shrieked in shock._

"_AAH!" I immediately felt bad._

"_Did I scare ya? I'm sorry!" I apologised, but couldn't find it in my will to get out of her face. She was... pretty..._

"_It's okay, I think..." She said, not really sounding certain. I felt guilty as she looked a little scared._

"_No, really!" I insisted. Good manners automatically came into play, and with a silent sigh, I flipped upright, then flung myself off the bars, bending my knees just in time to receive the impact. Thank goodness; last time I'd done that I'd fallen on my face. I wandered around to face her. A pair of huge brown eyes stared up at me. I wanted to make her feel better; she looked a bit lost._

"_What's your name?" I asked._

"_Allison." She said shortly. I grinned. Allison? It was a pretty name._

"_Hm... Allison. All-ee-soooon," I said, playing around with the word. Son... Sun... Sunny! Sonny. I gave another huge grin._

"_I bet people call ya Sonny, right?" I asked brightly. "'Cause its cool, and its like, short for Allison." I explained helpfully._

"_People call me Allie, actually," She mumbled, but she was smiling now. It felt good to see her smiling. I wanted that. I wanted to be friends with her. I wanted to keep the smile on her face in place, but I hadn't been able to resist teasing her._

"_Hm, too bad. I like Sonny better!" I told her. Her eyebrows raised, and her smile turned into a smirk. Not a grin, a _smirk_. "Mind if _I_ call you Sonny?" I asked her. _

"_Can I know _your_ name first?" She asked me, grinning. Touché, I'd thought._

"_I'm Chad. Chad Goldfarb." I introduced myself, smiling. I held out a hand for her. "Nice to meet ya, _Sonny_!" I sang, fighting the will to smirk at her._

"_Nice to meet you as well, Chaddy." She said, her smile teasing now._

"_That's good," I'd said... and in all honesty, it was_.

_Later, after much messing around, my mom called me. I ran towards her, absent-mindedly dragging my new friend with me, attached by the hands as we were._

"_Who's this cutie?" My mom smiled._

"_I'm A- Sonny," She introduced herself, smiling shyly._

"_Nice to meet you, sweetie! Are you Chad's new friend?"_

_She nodded shyly, and I turned away from my mom and smiled at her._

"_Best friends?" I offered. She considered for a moment, eyeing me. I was afraid she's say no. Then suddenly she flung her arms around me in a tight hug._

"_Yup," She whispered in my ear._

_**Flashback ends **_

I grinned at the memories, then got a little rueful as I realized that I'd slipped from a normal train of thought, and straight to Sonny. It was a newfound habit of mine; I'd never really noticed myself doing it when I was younger. It was more a problem now.

_Sonny_. I bit my lip, guilt surging through me as I thought of the mess I'd made yesterday. Usually I learned quickly from mistakes, and just plain Sonny-instinct was telling me punching down her door and forcing her to talk to me wasn't the ideal option at the moment.

I'd been so stupid. I should've known enough, from experience, whiny sisters, and chick-flicks said sisters and even aforementioned best friend had forced me to watch, that pushing her away was the worst possible option. And anyway, what in the world had made me think that it would work? Sonny and I are no schoolbook couple, not a playground romance- if you know what I mean- we're not cliché. Ha. Okay, so maybe we're a _bit_ cliché... but not that much. Don't give me that look, we're not! I knew her game and her rules, and right now, her rules were sticking together and never, ever letting go. So what exactly had I hoped to achieve in my attempt to push her away, both physically and emotionally?

Man, I was an idiot... now I'd created this thing between us, and my best friend was refusing to answer my calls (I'd called her at least a dozen times between getting up and arriving at work) and avoiding me in the hallway. I'd seen her, and as soon as she put her eyes on me, she had deliberately moved her gaze to the floor, tucking her hands into her pockets as her lips set into a firm line. I hated to see her this way.

I hated not having her near me. Not trusting me enough to talk to me; to even _look_ at me!

And I only had myself to blame.

Darn, was I really so stupid that I hadn't seen the fragile line our current friendship balanced on? I grimaced, self-disgust lancing through me as I saw her horrified expression in my head again. _Man up! Apologize!_ The clingy, get back, part of my head screamed at me. The Sonny-sense part was going _give her a chance to cool down, man, and then apologize like you've never apologized before..._

Of course, I wanted to run and sweep her into my arms and tell her how darn sorry I was, then have my best friend back, but it was never that easy.

I sighed as I got the dreaded 'come-to-rehearsal' knock on the door, when all I wanted to do was sit and wallow on my guilt. _Man_, I sound like... ugh, Edward Cullen right now. What? My sisters forced [by] me to see that movie with them.

I pulled myself out of my dressing room and towards the set slowly.

"What's got your chin dragging on the ground?" Chastity asked me. Funny, I didn't notice her until she spoken.

"Hm?" I asked. Chad Dylan Cooper never says _huh_... it's so... juvenile *shudder*

Ugh, ignore that. Lack of sleep due to potentially murdering my friendship with my best friend makes me obnoxious.

"You look _depressed_, Chad Dylan Cooper! What's got you down?" She asked, which made me finally look at her. She was curled up the edge of the couch, and had her chin propped up on her fists, her elbows balancing on her knees. I blinked; Chastity's usually very quiet and subtle. I'm guessing when she's not at the studios she's gutsy and playful, and concerned for other people, like she is now. Huh. I've never realized that she might actually be _nice_.

"Well, Cooper?" She asked, and I could see she was a little worried, despite her playful smirk.

"I'm alright, Chas. Just... ugh. I didn't get enough sleep last night." I admitted, falling down onto the couch beside her and shoving my face into a cushion. She poked my arm.

"Well, Mr Insomniac. (**iluvchanny13... lol)** I feel for you, I really do," She teased me, grinning. Whoa. Who is she and what did she do to Chastity (**who's surname I can't remember... -_-)**?

I pulled my head out of the cushion long enough to groan at her, then let my face fall back. Sadly, though, my over-dramatic display was interupted by our great director queen, aka Katrina. (**I'm in a totally random mood right now. Please, feel free to be weirded out by my sarcastic humour)**

"Right, guys, ready to perform to our new and bull free script?" She asked us cheerily, clapping her hands together. We all mumbled some enthusiasm. Kat rounded on us.

"C'mon guys, get your butts off the couches and start doing some_ acting_! I didn't scream at our devoted writers for a better script just to have you not act it!" She yelled, planting a hand on her hip. I rolled my eyes. I love Kat, I really do, I've worked with her my whole official acting career, but sometimes, she makes me want to kill myself.

"Meh..." I moaned under my breath, and Chas winked at me. I got to my feet, rubbing my eyes.

"Chad, go to make-up," Kat told me.

"Why?" I wanted to get my scenes done as soon as possible.

"Because you look a mess.," Gee, thanks. "Did you bother to sleep at alllast night?" She asked, looking amused and worried at the same time. I forced a grin.

"Well, see, this is a really funny story..." I said, laughing fakely. "But... no." I finished sheepishly, stopping my forced laughs abruptly. Kat smacked her hand against her face (**is that what a face-palm is?) ** and groaned.

"Cooper. Go. Make-up. Now." She said, covering her eyes in exasperation.

I held up my hands in surrender, shuffling off to make-up without further argument. I didn't need Tween Weekly making a new story about how I looked like death, anyway. I shuddered at the thought of the reactions of my creepy fan-girls. _Ugh_. In a way, I really missed my first fan-girls, Sonny's friends... at least none of _them_ asked me to marry them. Insert freaked out look here.

I finally arrived at my vanity, where my ever-smiling, super-cool make-up artist greeted me.

"Hey, Mr Coop!" She grinned. I mentally rolled my eyes. Coop was her weird nickname for me.

"Sup, Ronnie?" Because Ronnie is cooler than Veronica. Ronnie was my first cool non-actor friend here. Sure, she's nowhere near Sonny's level. We only see each other at work. But here's the awesome thing; she's understanding, and doesn't sell every little thing I say to Tween Weekly. That happened to me once. I was humiliated for weeks.

Ronnie was different though. The thing was, she was only fifteen _now_. When I first came to Hollywood and met her, she was only eleven or twelve. Not that much younger than me, but she was so small, and already working a serious job. She had her hair dyed- red when I met her, violet now- and the top of her ear pierced. I also have a shrewd suspicion she has a tattoo. I like her. But it's not like we hang out much...

"Ah, not much, Coop, sir." She also usually calls me _sir_. Apparently, it's part of her job description, but she likes to put a sarcastic ring to it. I don't mind. The idea of anyone calling _me_ sir is just... bizarre. I slid into my seat. It had originally been a stool, but stools are uncomfortable, and I'd been thrilled to discover the design dude practically falling over himself to fix any problem for me.

Not so much anymore. I hate being treated like flipping royalty.

"You got a muffin basket, Coop," Ronnie informed me, just as she started brushing some itchy powder over my face.

On the other hand, sometimes, it's not so bad...

Being treated like royalty, I mean.

The make-up, I could do without. I put my hand up to wipe my face, only to have Ronnie slap my hand away.

"Mess that make-up, Coop, and _so help me_, I will turn you into a clown!" She threatened in my ear. I shrugged but heeded her threat. Ronnie really is a great friend (eye roll).

"Okay, okay, I'll keep still..." I conceded.

"Good. Now why the heck are you sitting staring at the mirror like it just tried to stab you? Stop looking so betrayed and tell me what's up!" She demanded. Lovely girl, that one.

"Nothin', Ron. Just couldn't sleep last night," I muttered, fighting off a convenient yawn. Is it weird that over my life I've had two good friends I call Ron, and one was a boy and one was a girl? And if they met each other, I'm pretty sure they'd hit it off...

Oh man. I really am sleep-deprived... I'm mentally match-making... EW...

"Sure, Coop, whatever." Ronnie muttered, and I'm pretty sure she didn't believe me. But she didn't press the subject.

_D/I/K/Y/?_

Later, as I was sitting (moping) in my dressing room, I heard an unexpected noise. It was... weird. I jumped to my feet, looking to the direction of the noise, which was, by the way, my door.

_Please, no fan-girls..._ I begged silently, as I approached the door warily. As I got there, the noise cut out, and I realized someone had shoved something under my door.

_What the heck...?_

I knelt down and picked it- an envelope- up off the floor. I eyed it suspiciously for a second (you never know whether something's from a fan or a hater) then shrugged and used my finger to slit it open. A sheaf of paper fell out, onto the floor, and I picked it up, and started flipping through it.

The first couple of pages were just sheet music, but they didn't have anything but music notes written on. As I reached the bottom of the pile, I saw a page full of writing. _Familiar_ writing.

Sonny's writing.

Sudden, irrational fear pooled in my stomach. Why did she feel the need to write something to me? Why couldn't she just scream in my face? Even that would be better than this!

As I started to read through it, I realized with a lurch that it wasn't a letter, but a song. A very expressive song, I might add. It didn't seem to have a title, but I knew this was Sonny's way of telling me how she felt. There could only be one reason she'd sent me sheet music... I wandered over to sit at my desk- yes, I have a desk in my dressing room, I do have class, with scary Miss Bitterman- which happened to have my beloved guitar tucked underneath. It was the very same one I'd wrote Sonny a song on for her eleventh birthday. My agent tried to tell me I could get a new one, but I'd pointed out to her that I didn't _want_ one. I put the sheet music in front of me, as well as the song words. The tune was simple. I pulled my guitar out and strummed it softly, not wanting to alert anyone to the fact that the CDC has a guitar. Once I'd got a hang of the tune, I started to sing the lyrics very quietly. My heart wrenched as I realized she'd basically put all her thoughts to a tune.

_It took a while to win back my trust_

Well, it had, hadn't it? I remembered, sadly, the cold silence, the storming out. I'd been destroyed. I sang on, and when I reached the chorus, my heart got a little warm, then my blood went cold.

_You look at me_

_And you win me over and then suddenly_

_You hit me under_

_Was it so easy, just to throw it all away?_

_Is it all just a pretence, a game that you play?_

_Uh, uh, oh_

I hadn't realized how much damage this would do... all I'd wanted was to protect her! It hadn't crossed my mind that she'd see it as more than a betrayal, but it'd make her think that... I'd never been on her side since she'd come here. That tore my heart apart as I thought of her writing this, the hurt and no doubt the _hate_ she'd been feeling. I felt sick.

She was doubting everything I'd ever told her. My very best friend thought our friendship was _fake_. I shivered as I thought of it. I loved Sonny Allison Munroe, from the very bottom of my heart. Cheesy, I know... But she was like a part of me. The part of me that wasn't an idiot... the part that made me... _me_.

I didn't like being away from her. Actually, never mind that, I _hated _it. With every fibre of my being. It made me uncomfortable... all I wanted was to... to... heck, I didn't even know! I just wanted my best friend back.

I dropped my guitar back into its case. Shoving the case underneath the desk with my foot, I pulled out a picture of Sonny and I. We were so _happy_ in this picture. It was from last week. Now we were a mess. So close to falling apart... and I couldn't bear that. I _had _to fix this!

_D/I/K/Y/?_

I had to live through another rehearsal, _and_ make-up session. Apparently, rubbing my eyes had been a bad idea. Ronnie was surprised to have me twice in one day, but she didn't comment.

"You look like crap, Chad." She said quietly. She must have really meant it... she _never_ just calls me Chad.

"Gee thanks." I responded, but instead of sounding sarcastic I just sounded lifeless.

The rest of the session passed in silence, and the only speaking I did during my rehearsal was my lines. I refused to say another word... and I was busy thinking of Sonny.

Straight after rehearsal, I decided to go see her. When I arrived at her dressing room, I realized she was still at rehearsal. Unable to let it go, however, instead of giving up and going home, I picked the lock (smirking slightly at memories this brought back) and sat down on the sofa on Sonny's side of the dressing room. I would just wait for her to arrive.

I started fidgeting. What was taking so long? I checked my watch, and realized Kat had let us out of rehearsal half an hour early, probably because my lack of attention. Sonny should just be finishing up now. I gave a small smile.

Suddenly, I heard the key in the lock, then someone tried to open the door, but of course, it didn't budge.

"That's odd, I could've sworn it was locked when we left..." I heard Sonny's voice from outside. Of course, it _had_ been, but I'd busted it open. I heard the key turn again, and I braced myself as the door burst open.

"There we go..." She muttered, and then she and the blonde demon walked in. Oh, man... I'd forgotten about Tawni. The lights flicked on.

"Thank goodness rehearsal's over, I can't wait to go home and- AHHH!" Sonny broke off into a scream mid-sentence.

"CHAD! What are you DOING here!" Sonny yelled. Tawni just glared at me.

"I came to talk to you." I said calmly, although the furious look on Sonny's face was making me nervous.

"I don't want to talk to you." Sonny's voice came out ice cold, low and distinct.

"But Sonny-"

"Get. Out." She said through her teeth. I looked up at her pleadingly but she could only glare. I looked over at Tawni, but she looked like she was holding herself back from physically killing me.

So I held my hands up in surrender, fighting the sorrow, because I couldn't exactly get down on my knees in front of Blondie over there. I backed out slowly, accepting defeat. I wanted her to open up to me, like she usually did, but today all I was getting was a message saying _access denied!_ It certainly hurt to be shut out again. I wanted to apologise.

When I got home, I was tired and depressed. Thankfully, Charles wasn't home, so I just went to bed.

But the nightmares were particularly bad that night.

**A/N Okay, so I know without flicking back that this chapter physically **_**sucks**_**. I'm sorry... this chapter was **_**very **_**hard to write! But it's nice and long, even if half of it is meaningless waffle, so I hope you enjoyed it :) and before anyone critically points out Chad's flashback didn't **_**sound**_** like an eight-year-old, my defence is that it was him looking back at the memory with the mind of a seventeen year old, rather than an eight-year-old, so it sounds a bit more mature.**

**OH! And I know this was a couple of days ago for her now, but on the 9****th**** of June, it was HopelesslyChanny's birthday! So, everyone wish our very favourite New Zealand/Russian a very happy birthday :D We love ya, Lena!**

**Reviews are love...**

**Nangelgirl x**

**PS Seeing my big long thankful-y confession up in the other author's note, I've decided we've come to the point in our author/reader relationship, where I can sign off with my name...**

**So... Love ya!**

**~ Hannah x **


	32. Forgiveness Granted

**A/N So I've decided to stop procrastinating, and actually WRITE this whole chapter. Yeah. I've been brain storming over ideas for DIKY for **_**ages**_**, but all the ideas I've thought up will come later. Have you ever been at a complete loss as to what to do for a chapter, but you think of about a million and a half ideas for AFTER that chapter? Yep, that's why I've been not updating this. Anyhoo, this chapter has a high risk of filler and crapitude. Ain't that the best? :D**

**I have a few (loads of) story recommendations for y'all; **

**Golden, by It'sLittleMe, **

**Facebook Official by Fergus2013**

**If You Ever Come Back by HopelesslyChanny**

**The Story of Us by past decembers**

**Welcome to My World by CrazieeBubbliee (did I spell that right?) **

**And if you like CSI: Vegas or Harry Potter, in my favourite stories list there are tons, lol :D**

**Chapter dedicated to EVERYONE who reviewed. Yes, of you reviewed any of this story at any point, you're getting a dedication. Feel special! I love you all so much, I couldn't EVER do this without ya :D**

**PS Demon of Angels, I think you'll like this chappie!**

Chapter 33

Forgiveness Granted

***One week later***

CPOV (**Yes, it's another predominantly Chad chapter. Why? Cos I feel like writing it this way. Lol. Bear with me!)**

It seems that I've truly bitten off more than I can chew this time. Sonny is refusing to forgive me... And her song is telling me that she's hurting. I hate that I've caused that. I hate it. I. Hate. It. Because if I've caused it, how can I kick it in the face?

So, I'd made one huge mess, and all in an attempt to save my best friend. Confused? Let me recap...

My insane stepfather hits me. (Yes, I'm admitting that now. As long as I'm not thinking aloud)

I threatened said insane stepfather with prison because I was tired of being slapped around

Said stepfather told me that if I did so, he'd drag my sisters, mom, and worst of all, my (completely) gorgeous, (sort of) innocent best friend into my personal hell.

I tried to save said best friend from aforementioned step father by pushing her away, and in doing so totally crushed her and made her very, very mad at me.

My attempts so far to make up with my lovely best friend have been a total and epic fail. The only communication she's engaged in is stuffing an emotional song underneath my door and making me feel ever worse.

Caught up yet? I hope you are, because explaining that just took up all my mental oxygen. Because, obviously, there _is_ such a thing as mental oxygen. Sure.

I was currently in mine and Sonny's private room. Alone. I don't think she's been back here since our fight last week. Her scent had faded from the air. Did that sound weird? I think so. Not that I can smell scents. M'Sonny just wears a very distinct and heavy amount of perfume, which I'm becoming quite attuned to. I'm no vampire. I just spend a ridiculous amount of time with my best friend.

A best friend who I'm pretty sure hates me right now. Man, have I messed up this time... I just want her to forgive me. Watch a movie with me. Bake cookies. Scream at me. Do SOMETHING! I can't take this silence.

Man, I need to fix this... and soon.

_D/I/K/Y/?_

"_Chad Dylan Cooper to Mr Condor's office, I repeat, Chad Dylan Cooper to Mr Condor's office..."_ I jumped to my feet, shocked. Me? Just me? To Mr C's office?

What have I done now? Did Kat tell him how distracted I've been all week? Was I getting fired? Had there been an accident? What was going on? Was I over-reacting? Why was I asking so many questions?

I raced to Mr Condor's office, barely pausing to acknowledge the fact that I'd somehow made it back to my dressing room without noticing. Hm.

I skidded to a stop outside the boss's door, nervously fixing my hair. Who knows- he once fired someone for having a bad hair day. A bad flipping hair day! Maybe not looking like a _total_ mess would help me not get fired. That is, if I wasn't already _being_ fired. I knocked on the door lightly.

"Come in!" Mr Condor barked. I stepped in, my legs shaking very slightly.

"Ah, Mr Cooper. Sit down. This won't take long," Was it just me or did that not sound good?

I sat down in the chair he indicated. It was stiff and wooden. Uncomfortable. It reminded me of that rickety chair in Sonny's dressing room. The one that's insanely hard to sit on, but she loves anyway. The one she tried to throw at me when James asked Tawni out. _Man_. EVERYTHING reminds me of her at the minute... I sound like a lovesick loser. Over my best friend!

(**This chair is practically a main character in this series. If it was a TV show, it'd definitely have a place in the title sequence :D)**

I tried not to slump down, as tempting as it was.

"So... why am I here?" I asked, desperately trying to be polite.

"Oh, well. It concerns the studios bonding trip." He informed me. I waited quietly for him to go on. "Well, it seems young Miss Munroe is pretty adamant about _not_ being your partner. Due to the hissy fit she threw at me earlier, and the way a bonding trip is obviously not the best solution for the rift between the two of you, I have switched your partners." My jaw dropped open, and my heart dropped down so low I think it hit the floor. Not only was she ignoring me, she was taking steps to get away from me!

"Oh," I managed to say, despite the fact that my jaw was still dragging on the floor. Yeah, I can talk when I'm like that. 'Cause I'm Chad Dylan... Ah, _forget it!_ The CDC thing has caused Sonny to be mad at me before. Was this problem already so far out of my control that we'd never make-up?  
"So... Is Sonny- Allison- not going on the trip with me then?"

"I just said that, Cooper." The boss snapped at me.

"So... who are the new partners?" I asked. It was painful. I did _not_ want to be separated from my best friend. Despite the fact that m'best friend didn't exactly love me to bits at the moment.

"Miss Allison will be with your... _charming_ co-star, Devon." I had a mental flash of my grumpy co-star, and despite the despair over my broken friendship, I couldn't help a small smile as Mr Condor called him 'charming'. There were two big problems there though; one, Sonny wasn't with me. Two, Devon hated Sonny's guts. Not that he's ever really _done_ anything to her, but Devon is a loose cannon. He _could_ hurt her. And if he did, I could not be held responsible for my actions.

And then, Mr Condor spoke the words that sealed my crappy life...

"And your new partner is Dakota, my sweet little daughter." Wait. DAKOTA? The scary evil tiny girl who stalked me? No way. She can't be Mr C's daughter... right?

"Come in, Dakota!" Mr Condor called. The door burst open.

"Daddy!" A shrill, high voice shrieked, in a fakely elated voice. A voice I would always recognise after it was forcefully imprinted on my ears two years back. The three foot, nine inches mastermind of pure evil bounded into the room. I risked a glance up, hoping futilely that I was wrong.

Sadly, I wasn't. With the brown her scraped back tightly in a tiny pony-tail, the small, cold eyes that so reflected her fathers, the scary voice, and not to mention the _name_, the possibilities were 48 trillion to one that it could be someone else and so... Rather unlikely. She hugged her father, then pretended to do a double-take and notice me, despite the fact she'd been watching me out of the corner of her eyes since she'd entered.

"Oh! Chaddy! What a surprise to see _you_ here!" She trilled, grinning hugely. Actually, grinning is what people like my lovely Sonny do. With Dakota, it was more like she was baring her teeth. I shuddered, and allowed my eyes to slip closed, wondering how the heck I was going to get through this sane.

"So, it's up to you to take care of my little princess." Mr Condor said, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes sir, of course Mr Condor sir!" I said, although I was freaking out inside.

"YAY!" Dakota yelled throwing her arms around me. I winced.

Soon enough I managed to get out of there, Dakota free. _Somehow_. I was going to die. Ugh.

I walked down the hall, and saw Sonny.

"Sonny, I'm so sorry, please, _please_ forgive me!" I begged. "You don't need to torture me anymore. I didn't mean it! I'm sorry!" I said, finding myself down on my knees. Sonny stared at me.

"No, Chad, I can't forgive you. And I didn't just trade partners because I didn't want to be with you." She said, taking a deep breath. Now, I was confused. And still on my knees.

"I switched because... I'm in love with Devon." She confessed to me. For some reason, this news completely broke my heart. Wait, shouldn't I be happy for her? She's getting her guy. But no, tears started pouring down my face as my heart split in two.

"NOOOO!" I said, in true Mackenzie Falls style. Yep, that's what sleep deprivation and heart-break does to me- turns me into Mackenzie.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want you to find out this way," My best friend muttered. "But... it's too late. I'm in love." I grabbed her hand.

"Still best friends, right?" I asked, too weak to get off my knees.

"Of course." She muttered. "Now, I have to go see Devon! Maybe, he'll fall for me during the trip..." And with that, she was off, humming loudly.

"NOOOO!" I yelled again. Suddenly, I heard footsteps. Devon came storming past.

"For the last time, I don't love you!" He yelled, just as my best friend came into view.

"But... but... we're meant to be together!" She cried.

"No we're not!"

"Yes we are!"

"NO WE'RE NOT!" And then, just like that, he pushed Sonny. She cried out as she hit the floor. I was about to go over and help her, but she flung herself to her feet.

"Fine! If you don't love me then... I'm leaving! Forever!" And without further ado, she flipped her hair over her shoulder, and stormed out.

"NOOOO!" I screamed. She couldn't leave!

"Oh, _shut up!"_ Devon snapped, shoving me as he stalked past. I fell back and hit my head, and everything went black...

_D/I/K/Y/?_

I opened my eyes, groaning. I blinked, trying to clear my vision, which was fuzzy. I stared uncomprehendingly at the ceiling. And I'm... where, exactly, right now? I rolled painfully onto my side. I was now facing a couch. A random couch. Hm. Haven't I seen that couch before? I thought for a second, then rolled onto my other side, wincing as my sore head and beaten body made contact with the ground. I looked around the room. I'd definitely been here before... I stared at the familiar shapes for a bit, thinking.

OH! It was me and Sonny's private room... Did that mean the last few horrific hours were... a dream? I sure as heck hoped so. Well... only one way to find out. With great difficulty, I managed to pull my phone out of my pocket without sitting up or turning over again. I held in the number 3. Sonny on speed dial.

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

"C'mon, pick up already!" I muttered, staring at the ceiling.

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

"Hi, it's Son- Allison, leave a message after the tone!" Sonny's answering machine chirped brightly. Aw, way to be subtle girl! Nearly give out your nickname that only your 'enemy' seems to call you. Smart.

"Oh, come on!" I muttered, then realised the line had already _beep_-ed. May as well continue. "Listen, Son- Munroe," May as well keep up the façade, who knew when her annoying cast could be listening? "I need to talk to you. Soon. Now, if possible. Please? Come on, I'm begging here. And we both know I don't beg. You know the place." I finished. Whoa, that is the singular weirdest message I've ever left on her machine... must be the concussion talking.

I waited silently, to see if she would call me back, come, do _something_. After a five minute wait that felt like eternity, I pushed myself to my feet, ignoring the stab of pain down the back of my skull. I walked back to my dressing room, rubbing the back of my head.

As I arrived, I started looking for a notebook and pen. Eventually, I found one tucked down the side of the sofa. I curled my legs in, holding the pen to my chin as I thought. It had been a long time since I'd written a song for Sonny. Most of the songs I wrote these days where about unfairness and my need to get out of here... I hadn't written much since Sonny re-entered my life, period. Well, Sonny sent me a song... two could play at that game.

_Brighter_

So this is how it goes  
Well I, I would have never known  
And if it ends today  
Well I'll still say that you shine brighter than anyone

Now I think we're taking this too far  
Don't you know that it's not this hard?  
Well it's not this hard  
But if you take what's yours and I take mine  
Must we go there?  
Please not this time.

No, not this time.

Well this is not your fault  
But if I'm without you  
Then I will feel so small  
And if you have to go  
Well always know that you shine brighter

Than anyone does.

Now I think we're taking this too far  
Don't you know that it's not this hard?  
Well it's not this hard  
But if you take what's yours and I take mine  
Must we go there?  
Please not this time.

No, not this time.

If you run away now,  
Will you come back around?  
And if you ran away,  
I'd still wave goodbye  
Watching you shine bright.

Now I think we're taking this too far  
Don't you know that it's not this hard?  
Well it's not this hard  
But if you take what's yours and I take mine  
Must we go there?  
Please not this time.

No, not this time.

I'll wave goodbye (You shine bright)  
Watching you shine bright (You shine bright)  
I'll wave goodbye tonight (You shine bright)

I laid down my pen, feeling immensely proud of myself. It had been a long time since I'd written a song that easily and quickly. I could practically hear the tune in my head. I pulled my guitar out from under a pile of unwashed clothes from the past few days of rehearsals. No one (but Sonny) in Hollywood knows I play, and I want to keep it that way. I quickly scribbled the notes in, fiddling until I was finally satisfied.

I sat swinging my legs for a bit, then shoved to my feet. I folded the pages my song was on, shoving it messily into my back pocket.

"What the heck? This can't wait longer." I told myself. Had I (possibly) had less of a concussion, maybe I'd realize that talking to myself wasn't a good sign.

I walked quickly towards the So Random! set. However, someone got in my way.

"Whatcha need, Portlyn?" I asked boredly, digging my hands into my pockets, making sure the song was safely out of sight.

"Where've you been?" She asked suspiciously.

"Sleeping. Why?" I asked apathetically, staring over her head at the door of the set.

"You were _sleeping_?"" She questioned. I rolled my eyes. Believe it or not, I am not a vampire.

"Yes, Port. I was tired. People sleep when they're tired. I am a person. Get over it. Buh bye!" I yelled, the ducked around her and sped towards the door. The CDC part of me, the part that had an image to keep up, demanded that I did a tuck and roll, but I knew my tired body would give out halfway through and just end up with me in a mess on the floor.

I found myself in the So Random! set. I checked the time; they were probably rehearsing. This time, I didn't care if Sonny kicked me out. I was going to apologise and then demand that we be partners again... and also what she saw in _Devon_. Like, ew. Oh, man. I sounded like a freakin' teenage girl!

I pushed open the familiar dressing room door. I was so caught up in my thoughts, that I didn't even notice the girl in there as I sat down in Sonny's comfy armchair.

"Chad? What are you DOING here?" She yelled at me. I jumped like a foot in the air, then straightened up and struck a karate pose.

"Oh, hi, Sonny!" I said brightly, despite my throbbing head.

"Chad?" She asked again, her eyes narrowing dangerously. I realized she was getting riled up.

SPOV **(Yep, I just changed POV at an abrupt moment. Whoo!)**

I walked into my dressing room to get changed for my next sketch. Having been at high school before So Random! I had getting changed quickly down to an art. Plus, Marshall said they'd call me when I was needed for my next sketch. I had plenty of time. I dumped myself down on Tawni's recliner, wriggling my shoulders, trying to get comfortable.

Just then, the door burst open, and my not-so-best friend burst in. He was totally spaced out, and sat down gracelessly in my armchair without even noticing me.

"Chad? What are you DOING here?" I screamed at him. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm still mad at him. Sure, the past week has been totally horrible without him, but the back-slash of nightmares his words have caused are more than enough to remind me why I can't forgive him.

"Oh, hi, Sonny!" He said, ridiculously cheerful. Is this what I look like to other people? If so, I'm having an attitude change and going emo.

"Chad?" I asked icily. Y'know, that voice your mom uses whenever there's a vase broken on the floor, and you've just denied that you were the one to break it, despite being the only one in the house.

He didn't say anything, but moved to stand in front of me, his expression pleading. He glanced down at the floor, biting his lip, then thrust something into my lap.

"What-" I started to ask, picking the sheets of paper up off my lap. I looked up to see the door slamming behind him. _Temperamental ass..._

I unfolded the messy paper, and was surprised to see that it was a song. Hm...

Tears sprang to my eyes as I read through it. Where we really this close to ripping apart? Despite my fury and refusal to forgive, I couldn't see us being _apart_. Ever, ever, ever, ever... EVER!

A tear splashed onto the paper. Now, he'd written me this, but what to do? He hadn't apologised- although that might be because I screamed every time he tried. Had it really only been a week? Had it only taken a fight to create this mess?

"Allie? Time to rehearse!" Marshall called through the door. I wiped the tears from my face, preparing.

_D/I/K/Y/?_

I made my way to rehearsal, pasting a happy grin on my face.

"Hey!" I said to my castmates. Nico waved then did a double take.

"Whoa, what up, sad eyes?" He asked.

"What?" I asked, caught off guard.

"You're crying," Grady said, coming up to me, and I suddenly remembered what Nico had said a lifetime a go- Grady supposedly had a crush on me. I backed up a little.

"Oh. Oh, am I?" I said, wiping the tears dripping down my face quickly. "No, I'm not, see?" I said perkily.

"No, no I don't," Grady murmured, reaching out to wipe tears from my face with his fingertips. My mouth dropped open a little at the pure suddenness of the contact/ Then, I did something very, very stupid. Truly, I don't know why I did it. It wasn't right of me, if I didn't return his feelings.

I leaned my face into his hand, instead of pulling away. I saw a start of surprise in his eyes, but he rearranged his face into a comforting expression. At the sweet, comforting face, some of my walls fell down, and I burst into tears, and let my head fall onto Grady's shoulder as I sobbed. I felt him stiffen in shock, but Grady's better at this than he (or any other girl) gives himself credit for. He wrapped one arm around my shoulder, a little awkwardly, but as beyond my senses as I was, it helped.

I continued to cry, though a small part of my brain was asking just what the heck I was doing. However, the largest part was too busy bawling her eyes out on the nearest source of comfort.

"Whoa, what's with Allie?" I heard Tawni say distantly. I felt Grady shoot her a helpless look. I heard the sharp _click_ of Tawni's heels, and then her hand was resting lightly on my shoulder.

"What's wrong, Allie?" She asked, concerned. I heard the usual gasp from the rest of my castmates, and if I hadn't been crying, I would have rolled my eyes.

_If I told you, you'd probably kill me_, I thought to myself, then just mumbled "Tired. Sore. Fighting." Yep, well done, Sonny. You just made no sense!

"First, why didn't you sleep? Second, I don't particularly wanna know why you're... sore, because if you haven't said anything yet, then I probably don't wanna know. And who were you fighting with?" She asked, dropping back to a kinder tone.

"Mommy..." I mumbled. It wasn't a total lie... my mom and me _had_ been fighting. But that wasn't the reason I was having an emotional breakdown.

I felt a few more hands and arms join in the comfort-Sonny session. This is what I adore about my cast- we can hate and yell and fight, but when someone's hurting, everyone drops everything to make it right. Our little family.

Finally, my sobs died down.

"Th- thanks guys," I stuttered, wiping my eyes one more time for good measure.

"Can you go on with rehearsal?" Marshall asked gently. I bit my lips, but then sucked in a deep breath and nodded, my pony tail bobbing.

"Kay, Allie and Tawni, Check It Out Girls, front and centre!" Marshall barked, getting into business with his megaphone. We made it through the sketches- just, and finally, rehearsals were over. Tawni, Nico, and Zora left quickly. Marshall went off to talk to his ma (ew), and I was just heading towards the door, when-

"Allie?" Grady asked. Oh, boy. I turned, forcing a small smile onto my lips.

"Yes... Grady?"

"Do you... are you okay?" He changed question mid-sentence. I tried not to grimace. I couldn't deal with this right now!

"Yes, G. I'm fine... thanks, by the way," I said, smiling softly. I made to leave again.

"Allie- wait!" He called. I was surprised into stopping as he grabbed my wrist. I turned to face him, and he had the same sweet, flirty expression Josh- ugh- had on when he asked me out. So, that pretty much sunk Grady's plan, didn't it.

"_No_, Grady." I said, making a conscious effort not to talk through my teeth. "I'm going home. See ya." And with that, I pulled my wrist out of his- surprisingly strong- grip, and stalked away. Harsh, I know. But it had to be done.

Finally, after making a ridiculous amount of wrong turns in my annoyed, over-emotional state, arrived at my dressing room.

"Ugh, what a day..." I muttered, flipping the light on. Tawni was long gone.

"Oh, NOT AGAIN!" I yelled, spying the person on the couch. "And why, _why_ where you sitting there in the dark?" I screamed at him. Honestly, this boy is. In. Sane.

"I needed to apologise," Chad said, sitting up, a serious expression on his face. Something in my stomach dropped at the look on his face.

"Well... maybe, this time I'll listen." I said softly, hanging my head.

"That's good, that's good," Chad murmured. I looked up, and our eyes met for a minute, before I looked down awkwardly.

"Come, sit." He said, patting the seat beside him. I shook my head.

"No way. This is _my_ dressing room," I said childishly, sticking my chin out. I walked over and sat on my armchair. Chad sighed and walked over to me. As I was sitting in my small- albeit comfy- armchair, he was forced to remain standing.

"Sonny, I'm so, so sorry. Words cannot even begin to _describe_," He emphasised, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "How hard the last week has been. I want you back. I want us to be friends again. Like we need to be," He opened his eyes again, beseeching. He slid down onto his knees in front of me.

But I wasn't convinced. I pulled my eyes away from my lap to meet his eyes straight on, which was difficult with the dark thoughts in my head.

"You're forgetting what the fight was really about," I said quietly, somehow finding the strength to keep meeting his eyes. Believe me, it wasn't easy. "You cut me down, and kicked me when I was already on the floor. Why would you do that?" I asked, my voice strangely trance-like as I stared at him like a lost five-year-old.

Chad shuffled his feet, and clenched his jaw. "Sonny, I did something stupid. I'll admit that freely... Charles was well, being Charles. I guess the stress got to me," He grimaced. "I tried to... repeat what happened nearly four years ago, only less extreme. I tried to protect you, to distance myself from you. So I did it the only way I knew how, short of running away- I hurt you. And believe me, second to leaving you in the first place, it was the hardest thing I've ever done. Every word was a lie," He admitted. A lump sprang up in my throat as I realized how hard this had been for him.

"I could never think that, Sonny. You're my best friend- I'm blind to the non-existent bad parts about you," He said, a tiny smile tugging up the corner of his mouth. I smiled back, then slipped back into a pout as I thought.

"But why would you need to protect me? Charles, as sarcastic as he is, isn't someone I need protecting from." I said softly, my brow creasing in confusion. A dark look passed through Chad's eyes, so quickly I wasn't sure it had been there at all.

"So... forgive me?" He asked, holding his arms out. Instead of hugging him, I slipped out of the chair and joined him on my knees. Something was off. That had been what I'd been asking about when we'd had our fight- and it was still there.

I cupped his cheek lightly with my hand.

"Whatever this thing is, Chad," I said, my voice gentle, but shaking slightly. "Whatever it is, you can tell me, right? And we can make it through, together." A graceful smile lit his face, and he caught my hand and held on, so that I couldn't move my hand away from his face. He leaned his forehead against mine.

"Always," He murmured.

"So... you're forgiven. But you're not the only one who needs to apologise..." I trailed off. Chad opened his eyes and looked at me.

"You have nothing to apologise for."

"Yes, I do. I behaved horribly this week. I'm sorry for not letting us get this out of the way sooner." I muttered, my cheeks flushing slightly.

"It doesn't matter, Sonny. I don't blame you- I was absolutely awful to you." He said, rather sweetly.

"It does." I said firmly, but I caught his other hand and intertwined our fingers. "So am I forgiven?" I asked meekly.

"Of course." He said warmly. We sat as we were, foreheads touching, hands together, until Chad suddenly rocked forwards, and caught my waist with his arms. I found myself with my back against the armchair, and my best friend hugging me.

"Love you." He mumbled into my hair.

"Love you, too," I muttered weakly into his chest, my heart racing at the shock of the sudden movement. Because obviously, it wasn't because of how close he was... was it? No.

But as we hugged, and I looked over the past horrible week, I realized that even the worst days can end perfectly.

**A/N Whoa, that was long! I hope you liked it... and that it made up for the fact I haven't updated in over a week! *Grimaces apologetically***

**I'm putting my disclaimer down here, cos I feel like being different.**

**DC: I don't own SWAC, vampire, Brighter (Paramore owns that, thank ya very much! xD), or anything but the plot-line and my original characters :D**

**Anyhoo, before you ask, Chad's Dakota and Devon experience was, indeed, a dream. I was bored, looking for something to make the chappie more interesting, and reading parody fics. Ha. **

**Anyways, tell me what you thought! Review, cos reviews are love (: **

**Oh, and I wanna ask y'all a question... Have you heard Paramore's new song, Monster? I am **_**obsessed**_** with it at the minute! It's amazing!**

**Anyhoo, love y'all! Night!**

**Hannah x **


	33. Just Chillin'

**A/N Hullo :D I refused to take so long updating again, so here I am! I'm glad y'all liked the last chappie! I'm so incredibly blessed to have you all... I'm on 590 reviews! And when I uploaded chapter 30, I was on 491... so that's just over 100 reviews for just THREE CHAPTER! Aah! You're all so flipping amazing :D after all the drama of the past few chapters, I'm hoping to be able to write some sweet fluffy stuff here :D yay!**

**Shoutout to MiiMyselfandTime for being incredibly awesome and tweeting me and trying to get me followers on Twitter :D I meant it, you're so sweet! Go read her stories, they're awesome :P**

**Oh, and go read iluvchanny13's new one-shot, Chaddy Day Care! It's awesomely awesome :D**

Chapter 34

Just Chillin'

SPOV

I was in a good mood. No, totally blissed out. Where was I right now? Oh, yeah, curled up on my couch watching a movie, with Chad's arm tucked around my shoulders, and his other hand intertwined in mine. It was the day after we'd made up- it was Saturday, so we both had the day off. My mom was still asleep- we'd actually gotten up early so that we could hang all day to make up for the time we'd lost during our fight. I'd even managed to (be) persuade(d by) him to watch a cheesy chick flick. Letters to Juliet, to be exact (**shoutout to beckymarie16 for this! :D)**

"Get together! He loves you! Get together with him already!"

"Dude, she has a fiancé!"

"Who she _doesn't love!"_

"... Shut it!"

"Make me!"

"Fine, I will!"

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"Good!"

"Good! TICKLE WAR!" (**It's up to you who says what xD)**

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I ended up sitting on Chad Taylor Dylan Goldfarb Cooper's stomach (it was so much easier to yell his full name when we were little...), and giggling like an escaped mental patient.

I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe... and then...

"Eh-hem," My giggles slowly faded, and I turned my head to see my lovely mother standing in the doorway of her bedroom. It was only then did I realize the position Chad and I were in... Chad was lying flat on the couch, me sitting on his stomach, and we were both trying to tickle each other. Yeah, that was bound to not look wrong at _all._

We both swivelled our heads back, and locked eyes for a second. I swallowed, jumped to my feet quickly. Chad stood up, blushing and smiling sheepishlu.

"Hiya, Auntie Connie!" He said, pulling the same innocent face he always used to when we were little and in trouble... again.

"Chad." She said in a clipped voice. "Care to explain the... _position_ you were in with _my_ daughter?" She glared at us both, her eyes like ice- all accusing and mad. She'd never even given this look while I was _dating_ Josh! My eyes went wide at how bad it really sounded, and I got to my feet too.

"Mom, it wasn't-"

"What it looked like?" She finished, shifting her glare to me. "I expect better behaviour of you, young lady!" My cheeks burned as the blood rushed to my face.

"Connie-"

"And YOU!" She whipped around to scream at my best friend. He cowered away from her anger, blushing as well. "YOU are supposed to be her BEST FRIED! She doesn't need you INFLUENCING her into... BAD WAYS!" She yelled, pointing her finger in between the two of us. We caught her meaning, very clearly.

Oh, dear, this moment could not get more awkward.

"Mom-"

"Connie-"

"WHAT!" My mom yelled. She looked close to tearing her hair out in frustration.

"Mom we were just..." I trailed off.

"Having a... tickle... war." Chad finished. Thank you, thank you so much, for my sweet, and easy talking, best friend. And his pure honesty that actually sounds like honesty.

"Sure..." My mom muttered, still eyeing us suspiciously.

"Momma. We're best friends, Mom. It was _totally_ platonic."

"Yeah, Aunt Connie! Totally. Nothin' going on here."

"Nope. Nada. Zip. Nothin'."

"Not at-"

"I get it!" Mom cut us off. "Okay, sheesh, I get it! You made your point kids." She moaned, clamping her hands over her ears. "Man, you two can _talk_. Just... shush while I get my coffee!" She said, shuffling off while we watched with amusement. Chad turned to me.

"Well, that went well," He muttered, grinning.

"Yeah, as well as it could when she thought that we... that... we were being... a _couple_!"

"Yeah..." Chad rubbed the back of his neck. I fidgeted with a strand of hair that had come loose of the twist it was tied up in.

"Um... so..."

"What do you want to do the rest of the day?" Chad asked, slipping his arm around my waist. Letters to Juliet played silently in the background, muted and forgotten.

"I dunno. Maybe... Go out for ice-cream?" Chad made an irritated noise.

"What?" I asked him.

"Life was so much easier when we were both infamous nobodies and weren't pretending to hate each other." He muttered. I laughed.

"Yeah. The cost of fame, Chaddy boy!"

I meant it as a joke, but a frown formed on his face.

"Too true, Sonny chick," He agreed.

"Eh-hem!" My mom was back in the room. We turned to look at her in surprise. She was glaring again. We looked down to see Chad's arm firmly around my waist, and my hand was resting lightly on his forearm. If we _had_ have been in a weird top-secret 'relationship' we would have jumped apart.

"What?" I asked her, confused.

"Platonic indeed." She said under her breath. I'm pretty sure she didn't realize we could hear her perfectly clearly. "Anyways, kids, I'm going to work now. I'll be back later so... _behave_."

And with that, she stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

Well, that was odd.

**Connie's POV**

I was sleeping peacefully after working the night before... or I _was_. At about 10am, I was rather rudely awoken by loud screaming. The loud screaming of my daughter, to be exact. I rushed into the living room, where the scene before me shocked my eyes.

My daughter was sitting on the couch- despite that the fact that her so called '_best-friend'_ was lying on it! Over the years I'd seen my daughter interact with the boy, all the times I'd wondered if it was a good idea to let my little girl get so close to a _boy - _especially now that they were teenagers... I'd never really believed something like this could happen. Sure, I'd made fun of them along with everyone else- all the people who were so sure that they'd end up together forever. But I'd never really expected _this_ to happen!

They didn't even notice. Both of them were laughing, and they were so close together... I didn't even want to know what they were doing.

"Eh-hem," I cleared my throat. They both looked at me slowly, not jumping apart like I'd expected. They glanced back at each other- azure eyes to chocolate- as if confirming something, and then Chad stood in front of me.

What followed next turned to be awkward for the teens, very confusing for me, and in the end, extremely annoying, as it turned out it was a 'platonic' tickle war. Okay, _tickle war_? What sane teens have _tickle wars_? Unless they're dating... which they assure me they're not. I finally got tired of them repeating the same thing over and over, finishing each other's sentences and all, and went to the kitchen to claim my morning coffee. Ugh. I don't know _how_ people like my sons function without coffee. My _daughter_ loves it. Is it a girl thing? Uh oh, on the other hand, coffee makes me... light-headed.

I walked back into the room, and pulled a disgusted face. My daughter stood talking quietly to her 'best friend.' He had his arm wrapped tightly around her, and she had her hand just sitting on his arm, almost absent-mindedly. What is up with those two? When they were younger, it was sweet... but now they're too old. This is crossing the lines... if they're not in a relationship, what are they, huh?

"Eh-hem," I said for the second time within ten minutes. Ugh. The two looked at me, surprised, but again not jumping apart.

"What?" Sonny asked, taking in my expression.

"Platonic indeed," I thought to myself. "Anyways, kids, I'm going to work now. I'll be back later so... _behave_." I threatened, glaring directly at Chad. He was messing my daughter's head around, I could tell.

I have such a boring job. I work in a café. Man, if only I could swap with my daughter... but she got her humor from her... father, not me.

"What's up, Connie?" My friend Jodi asked.

"Oh, nothing much, Jodes..."

"How's that daughter of yours?"

"Well, when I woke up this morning, she was pinning her 'friend' to the couch'" I said, doing air quotes around the word friend.

"She was what now?" Jodi asked, her mouth dropping open.

"Yeah, she has this friend who's a guy..." I started to explain, but I remembered that the friendship was a secret, so I didn't mention Chad by name.

"And you came in, and she was _sitting _on him?" Jodi exclaimed, her mouth hanging open.

"Yeah, that's what I was like! They were watching Letters to Juliet, and apparently started having a tickle war..."

"I thought your daughter was seventeen?" Jodi asked, confused.

"Yeah, well, she knew this guy when she was younger. They turn each other into five year olds sometimes," I said, rolling my eyes. Jodi nodded.

"And a few minutes later, I came back into the room, and they were just standing there... he had his arm around her, and she was just kinda sitting with her hand on his arm!"

"But they're just friends, didn't you say?" Jodi asked, frowning now. I grimaced.

"Yeah, they were insisting it's all platonic. They've always acted like that, but now that they're older... I don't know what to think." I said, frowning again.

"Mm-hm. If you don't mind me giving my opinion, sweetie, I'd say there's either something going on between them, and they're not letting on-" I sighed unhappily. "Or, they're in denial." My mouth fell open as I considered that possibility.

As much as I didn't like it, Jodi could well be right. I suddenly felt the pressing urge to check on them. I whipped my phone out, and fumbled as I called my daughter.

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

_Rin-_

"Hello?"

"Oh, hi, Sonny," I said, relieved. She must have been close to the phone to pick up so quickly.

"Mom? Are you okay? What are phoning for?" She asked, concerned. I chuckled slightly.

"No, no sweetie, I just wanted to know what you were up to," I could practically hear her eyes rolling.

"Just chillin'," She said sweetly.

"Yeah, but what are you actually _doing_?"

"We're... um... Chad, what exactly _are _we doing?" She yelled, sounding further away from the phone. I raised my eyebrows. I heard him reply.

"Um... we're playing board games. But... ya know... our way..." If I hadn't known exactly what 'their way' was, I would've been suspicious.

"Of course you are. Why you had to confirm that with Chad, I'll never know." I muttered darkly. She huffed.

"Well, that would be because we're also singing, playing guitar, arguing, watching a movie, and prank calling our casts," She clarified, still sounding annoyed. I groaned.

"You two... are insane." I spluttered. If I hadn't spent so many years putting up with them in the past, I may have yelled at them. As it was, I knew they wouldn't do anything... seriously... illegal.

"I know, Mommy." My daughter sang gleefully. I heard a yell of 'HI CONNIE!' in the background. I rolled my eyes again.

"Don't think I'm through with you, young man," I muttered. I could hear my Sonny snickering.

"You either, baby girl!" I hollered. More giggled erupted. I gave up.

"Okay, I'll see you later. Love you."

"Bye Mommy! Love you too!"

"BYE AUNTIE CONNIE! I LOVE YOU MOST!"

I chuckled, then hung up, cutting off the sounds of the now-arguing pair.

"Well?" Jodi asked when I walked back to the till.

"No worries at the minute, I think," I said cheerfully, smiling and waving a customer left.

"Really? What were they doing?"

"Trust me, you really don't want to know," I snickered at her curious expression.

"Okay then?" She muttered, and I laughed at how much chaos my daughter and her best friend had caused, even in a simple mention.

**SPOV**

I smiled as my mom mentioned my shared insanity.

"I know, Mommy," I said in a baby voice. Chad finally managed to tear his gaze away from the movie, and grinned evilly. He ran up behind me, wrapping his arms around my wait and tucking my head underneath his chin.

"HI CONNIE!" He yelled down the phone. I swatted at him, and he pulled away from me, though he kept staring at my phone.

"Don't think I'm through with you, young man." Mom said darkly. I burst out laughing at Chad's face.

"You either, baby girl!" She growled, and I narrowed my eyes. She knew I hated that nickname, but after a small second, I glanced over at Chad, and we burst out laughing again. Mom sighed loudly.

"Okay, I'll see you later. Love you." She said. I smiled.

"Bye Mommy! Love you too!" I said in a sing-song voice. Chad moved suddenly, grabbing the phone out of my hand.

"What are you-?" I started, but he yelled over me.

"BYE AUNTIE CONNIE! I LOVE YOU MOST!" He screamed. I raised my eyebrows at him. He smiled impishly. I rolled my eyes and hit him on the back of the head.

"Hey!"

"That's what you get!"

I suddenly remembered we had been on the phone. I snatched it back out of his hand and jammed it to my ear, only to be met by the dial tone.

"She hung up!" I said, sounding offended. Chad giggled.

"'Course she did, what did you expect? For her to listen to us squabbling?" He asked, elbowing me playfully. I rolled my eyes for the like the ninth time in five minutes.

"Idiot." I muttered, but loud enough for him to hear.

"Oh, you're going down, Munroe!" I shrieked and tried to get away, but I still ended up being shoved down onto the couch. I giggled, and turned to find Chad standing in front of me, smirking.

"Thanks. Thanks a ton." I mumbled sarcastically. His smirk just got bigger. I groaned and stretched my arms up, flexing. I finished yawning and opened my eyes to see Chad staring at me. And not in his normal, smirky way. My cheeks burned suddenly as he stared at me, in a way that no one but Josh (and occasionally, I'd noticed, Grady) ever had. I swallowed slightly, then shook off the weird feeling in my chest and waved my hand in front of his face, subtly pulling my t-shirt down as I did so.

He snapped out of his... um... trance, and smiled more normally at me.

"Hi." He said, happy, although he sounded a bit weird. I swallowed again, and pulled him down next to me.

"Back to the movie!" I commanded. He jumped slightly, then hit the play button, and we sank back into normality.

**A/N Yeah, a bit different from what I usually write. But hey, who liked it? I did, it was a lot of fun writing this chapter! I'm sorry it's short, but I truly hope you enjoyed it :D As long as y'all like it, it's okay :P So tell me what you thought... review! Because... REVIEWS ARE LOVE!**

**Hannah x**


	34. Evanescence CD and Chinese StirFry

**A/N Hello! Guess what, you amazing people? You broke 600 reviews! I'm not sure of the exact number, but this story has OVER 600 REVIEWS! When I first started this story, I barely thought I'd make it past ten chapters, never mind thirty chapters! And I never, **_**ever**_** dreamed that it would be as popular as it is! I thought I'd be lucky to get, what... 30 reviews? And now I have more than twenty times that amount, and some of you will be happy to know, this story is nowhere near complete :) And I'm glad you all liked the last chapter... but on another, more serious note, I had a few reviewers- most noticed an anonymous review from Brooklyn Nevaeh Smith that said I should at least 'let them do it' or 'at least make out'. I'm sorry if this annoys anyone, but there won't be any 'doing it' in my story. There'll probably be kissing, but there's not going to be any sex. Sorry, as a Christian, I refuse. I don't, won't do that. To me, writing it would be uncomfortable; certainly out of anything I'd have any knowledge about, and completely against my faith. Sorry! **

**And again, as unlikely as this may be, if there are any guys reading, PMS warning :P**

**But there WILL be Channy. So never fear, my dears! :D**

Chapter 35

Evanescence CD and Chinese Stir-Fry

(**Fluff-alert! Fluff-alert! :D)**

***Sunday Night/Monday Morning***

SPOV

I rolled over in my bed, groaning.

"I am in so much pain," I mumbled to my pillow, clutching my abdomen. Just at that moment, my alarm started to go off. I ignored it. The consistent, annoying beeping got louder, and more persistent. I pulled the covers over my head, moaning. After a few minutes, the beeping got unbearable. I threw my covers off my face.

"SHUT UP!" I screamed. Unfortunately, alarm clocks don't have ears, so it continued. The. Flipping. BEEPING.

Muffling a scream of frustration, I somehow managed to stagger out of bed to pick up my alarm clock. I'd put it on the other side of the room in an effort to stop myself switching it off and going back to sleep. I grabbed the clock, suddenly noticing how dark it was. I kinda had to, seeing as I somehow couldn't see the time. How much time had I wasted trying to sleep in?

I ran my fingers across the wall, finally finding the light-switch. I flipped the light on absently, then froze as I saw the time.

It was four thirty. In the morning.

Now, I'm not usually a grumpy person. I'm not very sociable in the morning, and I'm not peppy 100% of the time. But, come on, I was on my time of the month, and I'd been woken three hours early, after just two hours of sleep. So, can you forgive me what I did next?

"ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME?" I shrieked. I threw my alarm clock at the wall with all the strength in my arm- and that included the strength be in intense pain and extremely annoyed added in. Needless to say, my poor alarm clock couldn't cope... there was a loud cracking noise. Whether it came from the wall or my clock, I didn't know. I moved slowly back to bed, chewing my lip and clutching my stomach. It's times like this where I really, really, _really_ despise being female.

Because, of course, I couldn't sleep. I have insomnia. It takes me _hours_ to fall asleep, and that's when I don't feel like I'm having a knife stabbed into me.

Chad, of course, had decided to not leave until just after midnight. Being an idiot who wanted company other than her mother, I hadn't kicked him out. I'd also forgotten that... _it_ was starting today.

I sat up suddenly (which was some feat, let me tell you) as I realized that only one person could have done this.

"CHAD!" I yelled, despite the fact that he was at home, and blatantly couldn't hear me.

I heard noise coming from the other room. Great, I'd woken my mom.

"What's wrong, baby?" She asked, sprinting into my room, wielding a rolling pin.

"_Some_one set my stupid alarm clock to go off a few minutes ago," I snapped. "And I'm cramping, and I'm tired." Mom looked concerned. I didn't want to fight with her, so I let my eyes slip closed as I took in a deep breath. "S'alright, Momma. I'll deal with it. Go back to bed." She looked at me for a second, then left. I waited until I heard her gentle snoring to roll to the edge of my bed and grab my phone. I yanked it off it's charger, pressing number 2- speed dial- and waiting while it rang.

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

"Hello?" My best friend's sleepy voice mumbled.

"CHAD!" I whisper-yelled. "YOU... YOU... UGH!" I muttered furiously.

"What, Munroe? 'M tryna sleep 'ere," He mumbled. I growled.

"So, you know how it feels, then," I said sourly.

"What?"

"Don't play DUMB WITH ME! I know what you did!" I snapped.

"Son, I don't-"

He was cut off when I whimpered. The pain in my abdomen felt even worse, if possible. I began to wish I'd restocked on painkillers.

"Are you okay?" Chad asked, concerned. I coughed, wincing.

"Um, yeah. I'm... um... sick. Well, not really..." I was the one mumbling. This seemed to wake him up a bit.

"Sonny..."

"I'M FINE! Now, WHY did you do it?" I asked, refocusing on the reason I'd called in the first place.

"I..." He trailed off.

"I can't believe you! You _know_ I have insomnia! Why, Chad, dear, would you set me an alarm for FOUR THIRTY in the morning?" I yelled, forgetting to keep my voice down. There was a silence while Chad thought over his reply, and I listened carefully to my mother's breathing. She was still asleep. I sniffled slightly, wanting to die.

"I'm sorry." Chad mumbled meekly. "I thought it would be funny... I didn't know you were... 'sick'." I could practically hear the air quotes in his voice, but the apology was sincere.

I softened- after all, it was the early hours of the morning. I didn't have the energy to keep a temper tantrum going.

"You're forgiven," I mumbled tiredly. I hated arguing with him, anyway.

"Thanks," He said. I could hear a smile in his voice. "So... what's really wrong? Other than the fact I woke you up early, I mean. You got payback for that anyway. I mean, really, sweetie, you don't sound so good." Only Chad could put whiny, apologetic, sarcastic, and concern together at one go like that. Jeesh.

But as much as I loved Chad, really, I couldn't tell him what was up. He _was_ a guy, after all.

"I'm fine, dear." I heard him breathe in to start another rant. "No, seriously! I'm just tired. I'll be okay once I get a little sleep." There was another short silence.

"Fine." He conceded.

"Fine. I'll see you in the morning.

"Good. See you then..."

"Good and goodnight!" I snapped, cramps making the words sharper than they needed to be. I hung up before he could start ranting again.

_D/I/K/Y/?_

CPOV

So, Sonny was sick. Not _sick_ exactly, but I couldn't tell exactly what was wrong, and sick was the closest I could get.

I honestly felt bad about the alarm clock stunt I'd pulled- something that didn't happen when we were younger. I'd used to steal her phone and set an alarm for early the next day whenever she left the state to go home. It was a game.

But she was... off today, and instead of whining about it- like my castmates did whenever I was bored enough to try it on them- she got her own back. She called me, knowing full well my phone would be on and off vibrate.

I didn't like her being 'off' though. It made me feel helpless, not to mention incomplete. Like having a stomach ache. Why function when you're in pain, right? If one part of you is sick, the whole body aches. (**Flyleaf 'Beautiful Bride')**

I fell asleep again quickly, blissfully unaware that my best friend wasn't getting it so easy.

_D/I/K/Y/?_

SPOV

I tossed and turned for the next few hours, trying to sleep. I never got around to it. By the time I had to get up, I had got a total of about five more minutes of sleep. I was exhausted, which made me look as though someone had ran me over; my hair was lank, my face pale, and there were dark circles under my eyes. I wanted to lie in bed for the rest of my life and never get up, but I managed to drag myself out of bed. I decided to get breakfast first. I groaned as I realized we were out of Cheerios, which I was craving. Muttering under my breath, I made my way to the bathroom, grabbing my favorite shirt as I went. I swore under my breath as I realized it was stained.

I opened my make-up bag, and nearly screamed in frustration as I realized something had cracked and spilled over _everything_. I ended up going with the natural look, and wearing a too tight, practically see through shirt which I hated. I glanced at the clock, and I was running late. I ran out the door and down to my car, and I nearly burst into tears when my car didn't, wouldn't start. I hit my head off the steering wheel.

"I hate my life, I hate my life, I hate my life..." I muttered. On top of everything, I had cramps, and I felt like crap.

At this point, most people would have given up. But my name is Allison Layla Munroe, and, truly my... father's daughter, I have a determined (aka stubborn) streak. I slammed the car door behind myself, and bit my lip as I walked up to my apartment. I pulled something out from under my bed- something I'd never even dreamed of having to ride down to work. I got outside again, pulling on an old high school hoodie and huge sunglasses, hoping to prevent being recognised. It hadn't been much of an issue for me yet- but something both Chad and Tawni had drilled in to me, was _never be too careful_. Especially when you needed to _go _somewhere. I tucked my hair into my hood, allowing the fringe to swing in my face. Ever persistent, I put one foot on my old skate-board, and took off towards the studios. I could feel the rhythm under my feet. Skate-boarding isn't hard.

I could feel people's eyes on my as I skated between them skilfully. The light wind was much heavier when I was moving quickly, and I barely noticed as it blew my hood down. As I neared the studios gates, I prayed a thankful prayer that I didn't live _too_ far away from the studio. I flashed my pass at the guard, who raised his eyebrows as I passed. Realizing just how late I was, I boarded the wheelchair ramp and skated through the studios, attracting way too many stares, until I crashed through the door for the _So Random! _stage.

My cast stared at me in shock.

Tawni's POV

We tried to rehearse with the missing Allie, but it was pretty near impossible. Marshall gave up, throwing his hands in the air.

"Where is-" He started, but got cut off, as the door burst open and a certain small brunette girl crashed into him. There was a loud scraping noise and Allie skidded to a stop.

"Sorry, Marshal." She said sheepishly, climbing off some weird board thing and extending a hand to him. I studied her with my eyes narrowed. Her long hair was tied into a messy ponytail, her fringe messy, and she was in the middle of removing a huge pair of sunnies. I noticed she hadn't had her hood up when she arrived in the room- had she been recognised? And what was that _thing_ she was riding?

To my irritation, Nico was whooping and cheering her along with Grady. I mean, I get Grady liking her, but _Nico_, really? Why does she get all the attention?

I knew why. She was nice. She was sweet. She was lovable. But, she was also messed up. We knew that. She never said a word. She kept everything hidden. But she wasn't as good at hiding as she thought...

Anyways...

"Whoot! Allie! Did you ride on your board the whole way from your apartment?" I heard Nico ask, delighted. Her usually pale cheeks went a little pink as she nodded, staring at her feet. Nico and Grady started cheering again, oblivious to the fact that she actually looked embarrassed. I clicked over to join them.

"What _is _that, Allie?" I asked her, partly because I was curious, but mostly because she was getting all the attention, which we both hated. Distraction was better for both of us. I glanced automatically at Nico, but away quickly so that no one would catch me. Allie shot me a grateful look.

"It's called a _skate-board_, Tawni," She said good-naturedly. I wrinkled my nose.

"Isn't that a boy's toy?" I asked, confused. Allie's eyes narrowed.

"Don't be sexist, Tawn. Girls can skate-board too. Girls can do most things guys can do if they want to." She declared, crossing her arms and staring at me. I think I may have hit a nerve. I giggled.

"Ouch, did I hit a nerve there?" I said, grinning. I guess the way I'd said it must have been sarcastic. Or maybe I'd had a mean smile, rather than a happy smile. Whatever it was, something about it made Allie's face drop and her eyes go from warm- but annoyed- to cold and blank. She jerked her chin down, staring at the floor as she turned on her heel and walked out.

"I'm going to get changed!" She called over her shoulder. The guys resumed chatting.

Was I the only one who noticed that her voice had gone flat?

_D/I/K/Y/?_

CPOV

Filming had been getting a lot more interesting recently. Ever since Kat had screamed and demanded rewrites, the show had been getting a lot more interesting. The plots were original and gripping- people actually had a reason to watch, rather than watching for the everlasting question of 'will Mackenzie ask Chloe out?' Yawn. I was sitting in the cast's room, waiting for filming to start. Skylar was sitting beside me and the rest where opposite us.

Someone squealed and covered my eyes.

"Guess who?" The voice said brightly. I clicked my tongue.

"Um... hey, could that be my little sister?" I grinned. The hands dropped from my eyes as she huffed in disappointment.

"You're such a kill joy," She muttered, walking around the sofa. She raised her eyebrows at Skylar threateningly, and he scootched over so she could sit between us.

"Better!" She smiled. She sat down and grabbed my hand.

"Chaaaaaad..." She started. I raised my own eyebrows.

"What, Hayles?"

"Can you drive me to Alicia's later?" She pleaded, pulling the puppy dog eyes for good measure. I was a sucker for the puppy eyes.

"Um... I would, Hayley, but I'm hanging with-" I stopped, realising my cast was listening. "I'm busy later." She pouted, then resorted to cuddle into my side, tucking her head under my shoulder.

"Please, please, please, _please..." _She pleaded.

"Ugh, fine! I'll cancel my plans then!" I said in mock annoyance.

"Yay!" She mumbled, not bothering to get up. I rolled my eyes and tucked my arm around her. Celebrity or not, she's still my little sister.

I looked up to see my whole cast staring at me, identical open-mouthed expressions of shock on their faces.

"What?" I asked. I noted absent-mindedly that Hayley's breathing had evened out, and she was asleep. Poor kid.

"What the heck, Chad?" Portlyn managed.

"What the heck _what_, Port?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She gestured at my sister.

"_That!" _She snapped. I glared at her.

"Is something about the presence of _my little sister_ causing you irritation, Portlyn?" I asked icily.

"It's just you're usually so... So... Mean and cold and CDC-like!" She snapped. "And then this girl like two years younger than the rest of us starts pouting at you and you're all soft and sweet! What's up with that, Chad?" She asked shrewdly.. I stared at her.

"I'm going to say this once. When it comes to me, I can be mean and spiteful and harsh. But I protect my family. We stick together. I'm the- I have to look out for my sisters and my mom." I explained. The nastiness left my voice while I ranted, and was replaced with something akin to hopelessness. I stared down at my sister's peaceful face. She looked a lot like me. Like our father. I hugged her tighter for a second. I looked up to see Portlyn with a calculating expression on her face.

"Look," I said tiredly. "Sell it to Tween Weekly if you want. I won't deny it. But I'm asking you, please don't." I fell back against the seat, feeling very tired all of a sudden. I let my eyes slide closed, but I didn't fall asleep. If I fell asleep and Hayley got hurt or messed with, it would be because I didn't look out for her. So I forced my eyes to stay open.

"M'kay, rehearsal time! Go, go, go!" Kat came in, holding a mega-phone and yelling through it. Why? I have no idea. I moaned slightly, and shoved myself to my feet. Hayley just grunted and slid down onto her side. Marta came over, smiling evilly. She didn't like my sister much, since she pretty much humiliated her the last time they talked. Noticing that she was walking _directly_ over, I moved to stand in front of her.

"Whatcha need, Marta?" I asked her casually, subtly blocking her way to my sister.

"Oh, nothing, Chaddy. I was just going to wake up little Kayleigh," She said, a fake smile playing across her features. I folded my arms.

"First, it's _Hayley_, not Kayleigh. Second, cut the act. I know you don't like her. Third, because of the second, you are going. Nowhere. Near. My. Little. Sister." I explained slowly, so that she would understand. Marta laughed.

"Oh, come on, Chad. Like you don't want to give the little brat what she deserves." I blanched, and took a step closer to get in her face.

"Alright, Mall Mart, let me tell you something. I have three sisters. I'm the only brother. I'm used to kicking the ass of whoever hurts my family. So if you _touch_ Hayley, or Esme, or even Vanessa, I will purposely get you fired and as far away from these studios as possible. _No one_ messes with my girls." I snapped. And with one incredulous look, Marta stalked away. I turned to see my little sister staring at me with wide eyes.

"I thought you were mean when you were at work?" She asked, confused. I chuckled dryly.

"I'm mean to people who deserve it, kid. As much as you annoy me, you're family. And-"

"No one touches your family. Yeah, yeah, I know. And as proud as I am, _I_ don't need that speech." Hayley said, grinning. I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up. We need to go to rehearsal."

_D/I/K/Y/?_

Here's the thing, though. I've gotten pretty good at multi-tasking. So I could be steamed at Marta, think about what was wrong with my best friend (as in her sickness, not what was _wrong_ with her. There was nothing wrong with her) and act out a scene all at once.

Finally, I wasn't in a scene. I skidded to a stop as Hayles was called to do a scene. I turned to watch.

"Okay, Miss Cooper, this is your first real scene, so let's see how it goes!" Kat said kindly. Hayley didn't look too nervous, but she was biting her lip.

I groaned as Marta walked in to join the scence. Kat ignored me.

"And... action!"

_Hayley stepped neatly onto the scene, wearing skinny jeans and the usual Mack Falls shirt and tie get up. Marta glared at her, hands on hips._

"_Why are you here, Lacey?" Marta asked stiffly. Hayley/Lacey just rolled her eyes._

"_I go to school here," She said, looking at Marta/Penelope as if she had three heads. I bit back a laugh. "Idiot," She added as cough._

"_Don't lie to me," Marta/Penelope snapped. "I saw you looking at Mack." She hissed. I smacked a hand to my forehead. No, just when the writer's were doing something right! They had to give another love interest, in the form of my sister?_

"_Dude, you think I'm interested in Mack?" Hayley/Lacey exclaimed, disgusted. Okay, maybe the writer's aren't going back to Crap-villa after all._

_Marta/Penelope shot her a superior look. "Of course. But you'll never get him,"_

_Hayley/Lacey threw her hands up in frustration. "I don't want to 'get' him!" She yelled. They started arguing, until she finally yelled..._

"_BECAUSE HE'S MY TWIN BROTHER!" There was a background gasp played, and Kat yelled 'Cut!'_

Hayley came tumbling towards me, and I caught her in a hug.

"That was brilliant!" I praised her. She beamed.

"You think?" She asked, tucking her hair behind her ear. Being shy, which was rare for her.

"No," I deadpanned, and she looked at me, shocked. My face split into a proud smile. "I _know_!" She hugged me softly.

"Thanks, bro!" She said, punching my arm. "Well, that's me done for today. See you later?" I rolled my eyes.

"Don't stay out too late!" I called after her retreating figure. She laughed and flipped her hair.

Grinning, I absent-mindedly made my way to the So Random! Set. I figured I'd go to Sonny's dressing room, cos it's easier to do that than to burst into their rehearsal.

I went to open the door, but was interupted with a very familiar voice shrieking at me.

"I'M GETTING CHANGED!" My best friend yelled, slamming into the door to make sure I didn't open it. I went pink.

"Fine, I'll wait outside then..." I said through the door.

"You'd better!" She snapped at me. My face went red again at the thought of... _not_... I'd never do that. I may be a cold heartless jerk sometimes, but I was raised to be a gentleman, believe it or not. After a few minutes of me blushing and staring at the ceiling, she came bursting out.

"Hello!" She said sweetly, throwing her arms around my neck unexpectedly.

"Hi!" I laughed. We don't usually talk in the corridors unless we're 'fighting', so this was new. Suddenly she extricated herself from my arms. I smiled patiently at her; that is, until she whacked me on the chest.

"What are you doing here?" She snapped furiously. Whoa, mood swing much? Obviously she'd remembered we're supposed to hate each other.

"I dunno, Munroe. Why _am_ I wasting my time here?" I made my voice low and mean. I expected her to make a snarky comment, but instead her lower lip pushed out into a pout, and began to tremble. I watched in horror as her eyes filled with tears. She was crying! She was in pain! Last time I'd made her cry, we hadn't spoken for a week...

The tears started flowing down her face.

"Why would you say something like that?" She choked, and then slammed into her dressing room.

What in the world...?

_D/I/K/Y/?_

A few hours later, I was sitting in my dressing room. Hayley had gone home hours ago, and rehearsal had just ended. Someone knocked on my door.

"Come in." I said boredly.

"CHAD!" My best friend squealed happily, throwing herself at me. Um... okay...? Obviously she'd forgotten about my upsetting her earlier.

"Are you okay, Son?" I asked nervously. She pulled away from me and stared at me sadly.

"No. My tummy hurts." She said, her lip sticking out again.

"What can I do...?" I questioned warily. She seemed to be suffering from excessive mood swings today... from snappy to joyful to mad to sad to happy to upset again. In just a few hours.

"Do you have any painkillers?" She asked, pulling the puppy eyes. It made me feel like crap as I realized I didn't. (**Whipped... ;D) **I shook my head carefully. Without warning, her pretty face screwed up and she hit me on the arm.

"Ugh, you're useless!" She basically screamed at me. "Why don't you have any painkillers, huh? Huh? Huh?" She pestered me, putting on a tough girl act randomly.

...

...

...

I've come to the conclusion that I need to talk to my mom.

This would be due to the fact that in the past ten minutes, Sonny has screamed at me, asked for beef and cranberry sauce, hugged me, told me I was a piece of crap and that she never wanted to see me again, then started sobbing into my shoulder, about how all she'd really wanted was a packet of mint Aero Bubbles.

Which brings me to face that I need my mommy's help. She used to be a nurse, after all. I pulled out my phone.

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

"Hey, Chad, baby! Why are you phoning, darling?" My mom asked. I never call while I'm at work.

"Mommy, something's wrong with Sonny." I informed her solemnly.

"What?" She asked, immediately concerned.

"I'm really worried, Mom. First, she acted like she hadn't seen me in months and started hugging me, then about two seconds later, she hit me and got mad!" I started. "Then, she started crying, then she came into my dressing room all happy again, then demanded painkillers. And after that, she got mad cos I didn't have any, then she wanted the weirdest thing, Mom- she asked me for _beef_ and _cranberry sauce!_ Like, what's up with that? Then she started insulting me, then she started crying- because, apparently, all she wanted was some mint Aero Bubbles." I finished, holding the phone out so she could hear Sonny, who was still crying.

To my complete astonishment, however, instead of solemnly telling me what was wrong, my Mom was laughing her head off.

"Mom! I'm not kidding!" I whined.

"Oh, Chaddy, there's... nothing you can... do," Mom giggled.

"Why? What's wrong?" I exclaimed, giving Sonny a worried glance. She started hugging me again.

"I love you!" She said happily. I shot her a freaked out look.

"Well, do you promise not to get uncomfortable?" She asked, still laughing a little. I unthinkingly agreed, not picking up on the signs.

"She's um... PMS-ing, sweetie," My mom said, sounding like she was still trying not to laugh. I couldn't say anything. I was too busy staring between the phone and my best friend in shock and disgust. Well, I think I broke a promise.

"What do I do?" I whispered in terror.

"Get her home. She'll be fine, but I'm just warning you, sweetheart, that's gonna last a few days," I groaned as I realized what she meant.

"Okay, thanks Mommy. Love you. See ya later."

I hung up, then turned to face Sonny, who was now staring impassively at the ceiling.

"You okay?" I tried. She looked at me.

"If having cramps that make you feel like you're being stabbed multiple times with a machete qualifies as okay, then, yep, I'm fine." Sonny said brightly. I blushed crimson.

"Do you... need... anything?" I asked carefully. No way was I getting her any girlie products, best friend or not.

"I want to go home. Take me home! NOW!" She yelled at me. I winced, rubbing my ear.

"Okay, okay, sheesh, I'll take you home..."

Half an hour later, I pulled up outside her house. On the way home, I heard the story of her arrival to the studios via skate-board. Ha. Leave it to Sonny...

"Kay, see you later?" I asked.

"If you're coming round, I want an Evanescence CD, and _lots_ of Chinese food," She informed me. I rolled my eyes before driving away.

So how come an hour later I was outside her house, holding Chinese food, and a brand new, just bought Evanescence CD?

_D/I/K/Y/?_

SPOV

Chad had delivered, much to my surprise. Thankfully, I still wanted the Chinese food, and I'd wanted that CD for _ages_. We were watching Take Me Out, all curled up together one minute, sitting far apart the next, depending on how I felt. I have a suspicion someone told Chad what was going on with me- time of the month wise- so he was being extra careful to do what I wanted. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't milking it a bit, though.

"Chad?" I asked.

"Yes?"  
"Can you get me some iced tea?" I asked. He immediately got up and went into the kitchen, which made me smirk. I mean, normally he _might_ have done it, but like an hour or two after I'd asked.

"Sonny?"

"What?"

"You have no iced tea." He informed me warily. Ugh, why iced tea? It's disgusting!  
"That's okay. I don't want iced tea, anyway." He walked back in, rolling his eyes.

During a break, when we were all cuddled up, Chad turned to me.

"Sonny?"

"Mmm?"

"Will you ask Mr Condor to make us partners on the bonding trip again?" He asked me, hope lighting his eyes. I stared at him blankly.

"Since when were we not partners, Goldie?" I asked him, raising my eyebrows.

"Um..." He mumbled. A few minutes later, he turned to me again.

"What do you see in Devon anyway?" Devon? Devon from his cast didn't talk to me much, except to pin me against a wall and threaten me occasionally. I looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean, see in him?" I asked.

"Well, you're in love with him, aren't you?" I just so happened to be taking a sip of Diet Coke when he said that, so I promptly choked and did a spit take, narrowly missing him.

"Wh- what?" I spluttered.

"You told me..." He mumbled. I put my hand to his forehead.

"What crap are you talking, sweetheart?" I said worriedly.

"You switched partners to be with Devon and made me go with Dakota." He said sadly. "And you told me you loved Devon!" He practically sounded hysterical now.

"Chad?"

"Yeah?"  
That's when I slapped him around the face.

"OUCH!"  
"Are you sane now?" I asked critically. He stared at me in shock.

"You hit me!"

"You were being an idiot!"

"So... it was... just a dream? Or rather, nightmare?" He asked me hopefully, his hair sticking forward and making him look like an adorable five year old. Even more adorable than usual...

Did I just think that?

"Um... yes. Yes, I think you were." I informed him.

"Oh, that's good." He said. I rolled my eyes, then hugged him.

"Shut up, Chad." I muttered.

"Whatever you want, Sonshine."

**A/N So that was... about five thousand words of random crap. Look! We had a little Tawnico, a little of Sonny freaking about her past, a little Chad/Family love, a little Chad-teenaged-boy-ridiculousness, and a little Channy fluff. Whoa! **

**Did you all like it? I hope so... I stayed up til now- 3.17 am- finishing it for you! Today was my last day of school, so I'm off for the summer now, whoot! :D**

**Be nice, tell me your thoughts, review! **

**Love you all, thank you so much for the continued support :)**

**Hannah x**

**PS Today as I was crossing the road, I did the peace sign at a car and yelled 'Peace out, suckers!" It was one of the most entertaining moments of my life, even if I did nearly get run over xD**


	35. Things Get Started

**A/N Thank CrazieeBubbliee for kicking my ass(y) into shape(y) to write this chapter(y)! This shoutout(y) is for her(y), yay! HA! I'm in a really weird mood (I'm having the same problems Sonny was last chappie ;P) So I have no idea what this chapter will turn out like. Be warned!**

**Sooo, I'm glad y'all liked last chappie. I checked my email, and altogether, my whole time on fanfic, I have received... 123 story alerts, 135 story favourites and... are you ready for this? ****713** **reviews! Man, I am so blessed to have you guys! I've been treating you with fluffy chapters, but beware... it's gonna get outta hand again. As in... There is great angst to come. We haven't forgotten about Charles and Amy, have we?**

Chapter 36

Things Get Started

SPOV

I managed to kick Chad out at a reasonable time last night, so I actually got a decent amount of sleep- something I haven't done in a long time. I wasn't sure whether it was from the fact that I'd gone to bed at a (almost) reasonable time, or that I'd sat so close to Chad his smell was stuck to my clothes, but I slept deeply without nightmares.

I got up in the on time in the morning, grimacing. I dug through my handbag, and smiled in relief when I found a loose packet of paracetemol. I popped the pill dry, that's how desperate I was. I was delighted to find a packet of pancakes in the cupboard- I was pretty sure they hadn't been there yesterday. Hm...

After a really nice breakfast, I went into my room to dig through my clothes for the day. I found an old t-shirt that Chad had bought me- yeah, I know really old. It was a faded purple that said 'Bad Girl' in black on it. Oh, Chad. You understand me so well... Despite how small it was, I couldn't resist wearing it. I found a black vest top to wear, and wore the t-shirt over it. I wore my favourite black jeans, feeling very pleased with myself. The day was off to a good start, I thought as I skipped- yes, _skipped_- down the stairs and out to my car. It still wouldn't start, but I checked the time and realized I had plenty of time. Grinning happily, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Chad.

"Hello, Sonshine." He greeted me, sounding a little wary. Ha. I think I freaked him out with my excessive mood swings.

"Hi, Chad. Could you do me a favour, O best friend of mine?" I grinned.

"Um... suuure...?"

"Can you give me a ride to work?" I pleaded.

"Sure thing, darlin'," He said, sounding much happier. I laughed a little at the Texas-ism of the statement. California hasn't killed the Texas in him, after all.

I said bye, and waited for him, sitting casually on the step of my apartment block, swinging my legs. I smirked when his shiny convertible pulled up.

"Gettin' in or what, Munroe?" He drawled. I snickered and got into the car.

"What up with the Texas, Texas?" I asked him. He looked confused for a second.

"Huh?" I rolled my eyes.

"You've suddenly regained a full Texas drawl, Goldie. Has the Cali left you, dear?" I smirked.

"I ain't got no- I mean, I have not a clue what you mean." He muttered.

"Awww, Chaddy, why'd you do that?" I whined. "I was enjoying the Texas-ness." I said, staring at him. He met my eyes, which may have been a bad thing, considering he was driving, but I don't think either of us cared.

"Anythin' for you, Sonshine," He muttered, returning to his drawl. I smirked, exultant. I started fiddling with his radio, finally stopping when Avril Lavigne 'What the Hell' came on. I cheered and started singing along. Chad shot me a wide eyed look.

"I thought you hated pop now?" I was insulted.

"Avril's not pop! She's... she's... Avril!" I said, insulted. I brightened again. "Anyhoo, as devoted to metal and cool stuff I am, sometimes I need a boy- or world-bashing pick-me-up!" I declared, satisfied with my point.

"Whatever you say, darlin'," He muttered... but I still caught him singing along near the end. I was too nice to comment though. I'd just save it to blackmail him later.

"Ohhh, man... Acting lesson time!" Chad announced. I looked up to see Marta and Tawni having some sort of Mexican stand-off in the middle of the parking lot. I rearranged my features into a smirk and crossed my arms. Chad scowled. He pulled into his space, his scowl slipping into a well-practiced pout. I chuckled internally. With the pout on, he looked less like a grumpy teenager than a sweet five year old throwing a temper tantrum. He looked as cute as a five-year-old, too...

Wait, did I just think that? ...Again?

Chad got out of the car, slamming his door. I grinned briefly.

"Don't _linger_, Munroe, I don't want to have to get a new car. If you're in it for too long you'll defile it with your comedy." He shuddered theatrically. I got out, slamming the door as well.

"Don't play with me, Cooper. I could slap you high, and you damn well know it." (**Sorry- couldn't resist. I don't normally swear) **He raised an eyebrow, whistling. I was aware of the fact Mall-Mart and Tawni had stopped glaring at each other and were gaping at me.

"Swearing, are we, Munroe? I _knew_ my presence pushed you over the edge." He smirked. I rolled my eyes, flipping my hair.

"Yeah, push me over the edge- of insanity. Don't make me throttle you, Chad." I said, slipping from a smirk to a grin.

"Ohhh, I'm scared." He rolled his eyes, but he was grinning as well. I growled playfully.

"Should be. I'm in a bad mood; I might kick your butt." I said sarcastically.

"_Suuure _you would. You love me too much."

"Whatever stops the tears, Cooper." I smirked. The thing was, it _was_ true. Just not in the way our 'fight' was implying.

"Ah, but I _know_ you love me, Munroe. You're just too scared to admit it, babe."

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself? And did you just call me _babe_?"

I had to admit, he was doing an impressive job.

"Why would I need to convince either of us? We both know it," He teased. "And yes, I did. Why? Does it _bother_ you, Sonny?" He asked, stepping closer to me. His acting was getting a little too real for my tastes, and I found myself stumbling backwards.

"Yes, it does, actually. The last person to call me _babe_ was my ex-boyfriend. So it bothers me, cos it was, y'know, my ex."

"Ohhh, so it brings back memories of someone else who realized you weren't good enough for them." He goaded. That stung- Chad knew the truth behind my ex-boyfriend. He was getting too caught up in his act. I flinched.

"No, _Cooper_, it _bothers_ me, because I caught him cheating on me." I snapped, tears filling my eyes. "He called me babe. He called her babe, too." I said bitterly. I did not want to relive this. "I was in love with him, and he turned out to be nothing but lying, cheating, _scum_. So yeah, Chad, it bothers me to be called babe."

"Sonny, I'm so -"

"Sorry? Yeah, me too, Chad." He opened his mouth to say something else, but I continued before he could. "Thanks for the ride. I don't think I'll be needing a lift home."

"How're you getting home?"

"I think I'll walk," I shot at him, before turning and walking away stiffly.

CPOV

I was having way too much fun with our 'argument'.

"Does it _bother_ you, Sonny?" I asked her, my feet carrying me closer to her without my command. My heart raced as I got closer to her- adrenaline, a buzz from our fight, I supposed. (**Suuure...) **It surprised me a little when her pupils dilated a bit and she backed away from me. The playfulness in her eyes was suddenly replaced by true anger.

"Yes, it does, actually. The last person to call me _babe_ was my ex-boyfriend. So it bothers me, cos it was, y'know, my ex." Her tone was a warning, which I should've received, but whatever weird buzz I was on caused me not to pick up on it. Plus, I had an appearance to keep up; I noticed in a small part of my mind that Portlyn and Blondie were watching and listening.

"Ohhh, so it brings back memories of someone else who realized you weren't good enough for them." I said arrogantly. I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth; I knew how much pain the whole Josh thing had caused her. But it was too late now; the words were out.

"No, _Cooper_, it _bothers_ me, because I caught him cheating on me. He called me babe. He called her babe, too. I was in love with him," The fact that she had loved him gave me a strange feeling. Anger, but something more...? "And he turned out to be nothing but lying, cheating, _scum_. So yeah, Chad, it bothers me to be called babe." Being her best friend, I could read her expression, and simply put it said '_Back off, drop it, or drop _dead,_'_ I also saw, with alarm, the tears coming to her eyes, and the flush in her cheeks. I had humiliated her, intentionally or otherwise. I hated seeing her in pain; and on another, more petty note, I didn't want her to stop speaking to me again.

"Sonny, I'm so-" To my surprise- she'd been surprising me a lot today- she cut me off.

"Sorry? Yeah, me too, Chad," I was shocked and shaken by how bitter she sounded. I wanted to apologise further, but she spoke too quickly to allow it. "Thanks for the ride. I don't think I'll be needing a lift home." I was proud of her as she held her chin up stiffly, completely dignified as she walked away, her back ramrod straight.

But that didn't stop me feeling regret.

How did I manage to mess up so much?

TPOV

I glared at Mall-Mart. She just insulted my Cocoa Mocha Cocoa! What was she playing at?

"You take that back!" I yelled. She glared back at me silently.

Just then, Pooper's admittedly cool car pulled in to the lot. The car windows were tinted, but he was the only one with the money to afford that kind of machine. I shifted my glare to his _stupid_ fancy car.

He slammed the door, giving out a death look. _Haha, what's got your panties in a twist, Cooper?_ I thought to myself.

"Don't _linger_, Munroe, I don't want to have to get a new car. If you're in it for too long you'll defile it with your comedy." He said in disgust, and my eyes widened. She was in his car? Was her car broken? It must have been, for her to have to get _Pooper_ to give her a ride... I suddenly remembered the ski-board or whatever she'd used to get to work yesterday.

Allie got out of her side of the car, slamming it twice as hard as he had. She looked peeved.

"Don't play with me, Cooper," She glowered at him. "I could slap you high, and you _damn well_ know it." Allie muttered blackly. Whoa... this is the angriest I've ever seen her- Allison _never _swore. Pooper seemed to pick up on this fact too, although for some reason it seemed to amuse him.

"Swearing, are we, Munroe? I _knew_ my presence pushed you over the edge." I scowled at his stupid big-headedness.

"Yeah, push me over the edge- of insanity. Don't make me throttle you, Chad." My frown deepened. Was it just me, or was there something off in the way they were arguing? It was more like banter. Or even... No, Allie would never do that.

She'd never _flirt_ with Pooper. I should have believed it, but instead of glaring, Allie was smiling. She even flipped her hair.

"Ohhh, I'm scared." Chad said. Things just got stranger and stranger here- because Chad was smiling too.

"Should be. I'm in a bad mood; I might kick your butt." She threatened him, but there was definitely no edge to their arguing. Allie's eyes sparkled.

"_Suuure _you would. You love me too much." Okay, everyone, try not to panic. Chad was flirting in return. He _usually_ flirted, but from the way Allie was talking... it was like she was encouraging him.

"Whatever stops the tears, Cooper." I smirked at that. Ah, at least she didn't _acknowledge _it. That may have given me a heart attack.

"Ah, but I _know_ you love me, Munroe. You're just too scared to admit it, babe." Oh, he was _so _flirting with her. I should let Tween Weekly know... And I may have, except that it wasn't one-sided.

"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" Allie deadpanned. I applauded her mentally. "And did you just call me _babe_?" That was her _afterthought_?

"Why would I need to convince either of us? We both know it," Chad said cockily. "And yes, I did. Why? Does it _bother_ you, Sonny?" He raised an eyebrow, stepping towards her. I was freaked out by how intense he was, and I wasn't surprised when Allie moved away from him. She was flirting lightly, and he was practically being... seductive.

"Yes, it does, actually. The last person to call me _babe_ was my ex-boyfriend. So it bothers me, cos it was, y'know, my ex." Allie said, her eyes flashing. Ohhh! Way to rain on his parade. I grinned.

That's when things got ugly.

Allie's story quickly unravelled, and she sounded so... sad. She'd had her heart broken- I was shocked when she admitted to have been in love. Cooper was heartless until her little speech- and then even he was moved to be sympathetic. But she left him in the dust. I watched her back as she stormed off, then went up to the idiot.

"Gee, you handled that _really_ well."

"Tactful, Blondie." Oh-kay, _what_? One, he's blonde, and two, he was the one who just bluntly hurt my best friend!

"Pot, kettle, black." I said dismissively. I whacked him. "How could you be so thoughtless?" I exclaimed. I expected him to argue, to defend himself.

But he didn't.

His eyes dropped to the ground, and he actually looked ashamed.

"I don't know." He mumbled. I was speechless. He actually met my eyes for a half-second, a weak half smile on his face. For once he didn't look all arrogant and taunting. He looked... regretful.

"Tell her sorry for me, would you?" He asked. I was so stunned, I nodded. And Tawni Hart is _no one's_ messenger. Except maybe Nico's... wait, that's off topic.

He looked towards set two sadly for a minute, and then walked away.

"She's such a little slag," **(Forgive me, please? ****) **Marta sneered.

"Ex-_cuse_ me?" I snapped. Marta looked at me coldly.

"You heard me! Didn't you hear her, throwing herself at him? _Pathetic_," I was shocked. How could someone be so callous?

"I think you've got the wrong picture, Mall-Mart," I sighed, earning an annoyed look. "You see, it _was_ Chad who was- and has been- flirting with Allie. And _he_ was the one to call her babe, step way too close to her, and cut her down. So, I do _not_ see how Allie's at fault here." I said coolly. Obviously she didn't have a reply for that, cos all she did was throw me a disgusted look and walk off, shaking her hips. Why, I didn't know- it wasn't like there was anyone around for her to show off to. And she called _Allie_ that? Idiot.

Shaking my head, I walked off to my dressing room.

CPOV

Rehearsal was unbearable. Marta kept making snide remarks about Sonny and Hayley both, and my concentration was shattered by guilt. Thankfully, though, my acting seemed to be to Kat's satisfaction. At the end of rehearsal, I walked out, finding myself at the secret room quickly. I opened the door, knowing being in here would relax me. So, I was surprised to see Sonny curled up on the couch- I'd thought she'd only just be finishing rehearsal. She stared blankly up at the ceiling, her mind obviously far away.

I sat down on the other end of the couch quietly, not wanting to push myself too near to her, especially if she was mad at me. However, she crawled across the cushions, and hugged herself into my side. I put my arm around her automatically.

"Hey," I said cautiously.

"Hi," She mumbled tonelessly.

I hesitated, then decided to go ahead and ask...

"As much as I enjoy this," I gestured to her leaning against me, "Aren't you... mad at me?"

She sighed heavily. "No. I'm not mad at you." She said simply.

"Not that I'm not thrilled at that but... why not? You sure didn't seem in a good mood earlier."

"It wasn't your fault." She muttered glumly. I could have disagreed. "It wasn't. _You_ aren't the evil cheating ex-boyfriend. And you also weren't actually the one to bring him up- I was." I stroked her hair. How, _how_ did I deserve such a nice... pretty... forgiving best friend?

"But I made it worse for you." I contradicted. "I made it out that you _deserved_ it, almost." Her eyes drifted shut, and she leaned into me more.

"Nah, you didn't. You were acting. You didn't mean it." She said quietly. She had abandoned her hoodie sometime during the day, and I suddenly noticed her shirt.

"Didn't I buy you that?" I asked, feeling a powerful wave of nostalgia. I laughed as she looked down to see what I was talking about.

"Oh! Yeah." She mumbled, blushing for some reason. "I found it in my wardrobe... I had no idea I still had it." I grinned, happy that she had something from our past, other than photos and memories.

"I wouldn't have expected you to... Didn't I get you that for your... thirteenth birthday?" My voice faded out a bit at the number. That obviously wasn't something either of us was eager to remember.

"...Yep." She said, her voice surprisingly normal.

"I like what you've done with it." I laughed, noticing the black top underneath, making it look like one of those weird too short loose tops some girls wear. Sonny had too much self respect to wear it without another t-shirt underneath, obviously. But it looked good on her- the black and purple flattered her face.

...Of course, I'd notice that in every girl. Uh huh.

"I'm glad. I'm glad you're not mad at me." I said.

"Well, I'd be seriously worried if you _weren't_ glad that I wasn't mad!" She teased. Good, she was teasing, that meant she wasn't_ that_ sad, either. She wasn't going back to mourn over the Josh incident _too_ much.

She turned so that her back was against my side. Even if it was more comfortable, I suspected she was hiding her face.

"_Could the casts of So Random! and Mackenzie Falls please report to Mr Condor's office, I repeat, could the casts of So Random! and Mackenzie Falls please report to Mr Condor's office..." _

The intercom buzzed suddenly. I stood up, and held out a hand, which she took. I helped her up gently, not letting go of her cold hand once she was standing. Usually, I'd think nothing of it but... I'd seen Tawni's face. She'd thought I was playing with Sonny. And if someone as self-absorbed as _Tawni _would think there was something other than total hatred between us, what did it look like to Zora? Nico and Grady? Mr Pike? My cast? Kat? Either of our parents...

I shook the thoughts out of my head. As Sonny and I had thought when we were nine or ten and the whole 'boy-girl' thing had started, what did it matter what others thought, as long as _we_ both knew where our 'ship stood?

With that thought, I dragged her along with me out the door to Condor's office.

She unsubtly untangled her fingers from mine as we walked. I tried not to be hurt, reminding myself we couldn't be seen holding hands, platonic or otherwise. She was deep in thought.

About a minute away from Condor's office, she stopped suddenly.

"What?" I asked, noticing the worried look on her face.

"We need to split up." Sonny said. I was confused.

"What?"

"Chad, what are they going to do if we just happen to be walking side-by-side, _together_?" She snapped impatiently. I pursed my lips; she had a point.

That didn't mean I had to like it.

"M'kay. You go on; I'll come in another way, okay?" Of course, I made it easier for her than for myself. She looked at me for a second, scrutinising. She gripped my hand again suddenly. I jumped slightly; her hands were, as always- as I'd noticed they had been since she'd arrived here in LA- very, very cold.

"You're my best friend, you know that?" She murmured, squeezing my fingers. A huge smile flitted across my face, and I would've hugged her if we hadn't been so short on time.

"Now, go!" She said, pulling her hand free and shoving me slightly. I watched her move out of sight, then sighed and doubled back. I was going to be late, I could tell.

A few minutes later, I arrived at Condor's door. No one else was around; I guessed I was the last to arrive.

I walked in the door. The silence as the door clicked shut made me cringe.

"Nice to see you've finally arrived, Mr Cooper," Mr Condor snapped sourly. I grimaced. The seating arrangement was the same as usual, and my lateness meant that I didn't have a seat.

"You!" Mr Condor snapped at Sonny. "Stand. Usual arrangement." Due to the Texan relatives I'd been talking to; my mom's siblings and their families had been visiting, which was the reason my accent had been pronounced this morning- I had a huge dose of Texas gentlemanly manners in me. I scowled and said,

"Let her sit." The whole room stared at me in surprise.

"What?" I asked sourly. "I wasn't raised to be an ass you know." And with that, I walked across the room and sat on the floor beside Sonny's chair. Everyone continued to stare at me for a bit, then Condor started screaming at us to pay attention.

"RIGHT, so... In a week and a half, your bonding trip will begin." He announced. All of us suddenly got very quiet; I had a suspicion people had forgotten about the trip. Only Sonny and I had any reason to remember; I grimaced at the memory of my utter stupidity caused by a dream/nightmare. Wait, definitely nightmare...

"You will be travelling to the first destination on a bus," Several people in my cast looked disgusted. "And from that point forth, you will be travelling in a car with your buddy. You can take turns driving." He said bluntly. Well; this might actually be fun. Days spent on a road trip with my best friend...

"Also, the karaoke will be taking place during the trip." I gave a half-smile. _That_ was something I'd forgotten about. "In the last few destinations, you will be singing. It's not so much a karaoke as a singing contest; you can sing multiple pieces if you want, or form groups to sing together. _But_," What now? "Miss Munroe and Mr Cooper are still required to sing together." I tried to look annoyed. I wasn't sure whether I achieved it or not. Many people just rolled their eyes.

"So, next Friday, you will all meet in the parking lot at seven am. Anyone who's late will be Brenda's new food taster when they return from the trip." He glowered at us, making it obvious he meant the Randoms' and Sonny's food rather than ours.

"And finally, some of the extras from the Mackenzie Falls cast will be joining the trip. As they aren't really part of the feud though, it's just a vacation for them- but they will be asked if you're all getting along behind the scenes, and not just when you're with the group." He glared at us again, and a few people did indeed look shifty. I snickered.

"What was that, Mr Cooper?" Condor stared at me. I had to admit, I was a bit intimidated.

"Nothin', Mr Condor, sir. Nothin' at all." I got another few odd looks and my politeness and sudden- to them- Texan drawl.

"Okay so that's... everything I suppose." Mr Condor said, looking almost thoughtful for a minute. Nah, that couldn't have been right- I was pretty sure he paid people to think _for _him; literally.

Everyone started talking among themselves, and my phone buzzed suddenly.

_From: Sonshine _

_To: Chad _

_Go along with it, m'kay?_

I glanced up at her, confused, but she was looking up at the ceiling, the perfect image of pure boredom. As everyone started to get up, she turned towards me.

"Chad?" She said, not bothering to whisper. A few people tensed, although no one turned around.

"What is it, Sonny?" I asked, turning to her. I put annoyance into my voice. No way was I making it anything like this morning.

"As much as I really, really hate you, touring the states is something I've always wanted to do." I didn't actually know that... hm.

"Your point, Munroe?" I asked, kinda rudely. She hesitated a little, acting.

"Can we call a truce?" She asked simply, staring at me. I stared back at her, raising an eyebrow.

"What would this entail?" I heard a shocked Marta-gasp. Obviously, she didn't want me and Sonny to stop treating each other like 'dirt'.

"Don't worry, Cooper, you don't have to suffer a personality change and be pleasant." She griped. "But can we at least be civil? I want to actually enjoy this trip, not spend it fighting the urge to rip your head off." She pointed out, folding her arms. I made it look like I was thinking it over- but really, I was marvelling at the genius of her plan. This was a way for us to get along in front of people!  
"...Fine." I agreed, making my voice grudging. She smiled.

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good."

"So are we good?" I asked, grinning very slightly.

"I think, we potentially could be," Sonny smirked. She nodded politely at me, then turned and walked out. After staring from me to her retreating back incredulously for a second, her cast followed. _My_ cast were immediately all over me.

"Why'd you agree?" Marta asked, horrified. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"Because if I'm being honest, she's right," I paused, letting that sink in. "Anyway, I actually don't _want _my head ripped off by her. It would be such an anti-climatic ending." I said lightly. Most of them looked shocked, but Chastity, who was at the back, smiled.

"And... that's all I've got to say. Peace out, suckers!" I said, before walking out of the room, leaving a slightly nonplussed cast behind me.

**A/N Whoa! That was a mammoth chapter. Maybe not to you, but **_**I've**_** been staring at a computer screen for hours. Do you want to know the time? It's 4:09 ****AM****. Yep, really. Me thinky this is getting unhealthy! I should really sleep and then post the chapters at a normal time. My eyes are square.**

**Anyhoo, I hope you likey the chappie! It was kinda fun to write, haha. So... tell me yo' thoughts... review! Because as we all know...**

***bored readers roll their eyes and chant along***

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE!**

**Haha, I have successfully brainwashed you all... sweet!**

**Hannah x**


	36. Final Prep and a Close Call

**A/N I'm back! *dances* I'm glad you liked the last chapter :) and a huge thank-you to everyone who read and reviewed 'Classroom Rampage!' The support was much appreciated :D I've been spending so much time imagining out the rest of DIKY- I've never been one for planning ahead in stories! But, I have a few ideas which will make up the plot-line :P **

**Shoutout to LoveNeverSleeps for an awesome review, and putting me on her favorite author, favourite story AND story alert! It meant a lot :D**

**Now, I a disclaimer to make, even though I have a feeling only one person will get it ;)**

**I do not own SWAC, Texas, or a hot dog pizza, or 'Surfer Babe', McFly owns that last one.**

**WARNING: Child abuse scene ahead.**

Chapter 37

Final Prep and a Close Call

SPOV

***Two days before the bonding trip***

For the first time in about a fortnight, I really paid attention in rehearsals. Don't get me wrong; I always try hard (mostly) and I get my sketches done, but today, I was _really_ paying attention. I noticed some things that surprised me.

Like the way Marshall kept glancing at his phone. Expecting a phone call.

Like the way _Tawni_ kept glancing at _Nico_. Expecting... I don't know what. But something.

Or, the most prominent- or disturbing- the way Grady kept glancing at _me_. I bit my lip, swinging my legs. I thought I'd made myself clear- I did _not_ want to be with him. But with the way he was looking at me, he still had hope. I didn't know whether to be annoyed or flattered. I ran through my rejection in my head, and realized that because he'd never actually asked me out- I'd not _waited_ when he'd asked- the rejection wasn't really relevant. He still had a hope, slim as it was. Ugh, why couldn't this just work out perfectly like the rest of my life?

_Because, haha, the rest of your life isn't perfect. Don't forget what you're running from..._ I bit down harder on my lip, hoping the pressure would distract me from my thoughts. I _really_ didn't need to think about that right now. Or, ever.

"Okay, Check it Out Girls sketch!" Marshall called through his mage-phone, tearing his eyes from his phone for a millisecond. Today was the last filming day before the trip- we had tomorrow off to finish packing and stuff. I pasted on a grin and skipped onstage.

"Hey, Allie," Tawni greeted me quickly, blowing on her nails. I rolled my eyes. Typical Tawni, sneaking in a second coat of nail polish just before filming.

"Hey, Tawni!" I said, adjusting my sun visor, just as Marshall yelled 'Action!'

Zora strolled up to the 'counter', dressed up like a cow-girl, complete with pointy-toed, flat heeled suede boots, a skirt, and a green and blue flannel shirt. I smirked through my obnoxious gum-chewing. Zora looked like the _epitome_ of Texas-ness. The memories of pranks- now that Chad was back, unaffected by sadness and regret- flooded through me, as Zora spoke the 'fatal' line.

"Can you check me out?" She asked, and I nearly collapsed. Oh, she even had put a Texas _accent_ on! This. Was. Too. Good.

"Sure," Tawni said, nudging me. I pulled a toy horse out of the cart.

"Check out her pon_-aaay_," I sang, making it gallop on the counter. Zora glared at me.

"Ooh! Check out her cow-_boy_ hat," Tawni giggled. "Is she, like, confused or something?" Zora gritted her teeth, crossing her arms.

"I didn't come to y'all for you to be insultin' me!" I fought back a laughing fit. She just blatantly reminded me of Hayley Goldfarb- I mean Cooper.

"Oh, check it out, cow-girl got attit-_tude_!" I said gleefully.

Tawni and I juggle a few more insults, before Zora threw her hands up in the air, screaming, "I be havin' enough of this!" and stormed out.

"Check it out, what was _her_ problem?" I asked, confused.

"Check it out, I don't know!" Tawni replied sadly.

"Check it out, we'll figure it out later!" I said, making an act of perking up. Tawni grinned angelically.

"Check it out dance?" She asked. I complied happily, spinning around and doing our weird little dance.

"Cut!" Marshall called, beaming. "That was a perfect take," He assured us, much to my delight and Tawni's obvious expectations. "You're all done for today- which, sadly, means you're all done for the next few weeks." He sighed. "You two be safe now, you hear?" Tawni grinned and rolled her eyes.

"Promise," She said affectionately, then walked out. We knew she meant it really, so we didn't roll out eyes.

"Don't miss us _too_ much, Marshall!" I begged, throwing my arms around him for a quick hug. "Time'll pass quickly." I backed away, smiling. Marshall waved, and I saluted him jokingly before walking out.

Looking around cautiously for Tawni, I threw caution to the winds and raced to the Mack Falls set. The security guard eyed me, then realized I wasn't on the banned wall. I saluted _him_ mockingly, then walked off towards Chad's dressing room. Unfortunately, I had to walk through the main filming set. Devon glared at me as I passed.

"What is _that_ doing here?" He sneered in Marta's ear. I tried not to grimace at the Nightmare Pair, as I liked to call them.

"_She_ has a name," I muttered. "_Her_ name is Sonny, and _she_ can hear you." But despite my words, I couldn't make my voice as strong as I wanted. They struck too close to my own insecurities.

"Nah, it's a _that_!" Marta whispered loudly. "And _it_ is a little, fat freak."

"Yeah. Who'd want _that_?" Tears rushed to my eyes. The memories were too strong, the words too close. I bowed my head, trying not to cry. _Deep breaths, Sonny. Deep breaths_, I told myself.

"And you know what? I heard that its daddy didn't really die. I heard he ran away because he had _that_ as a disgrace for a _daughter_!" Marta said, smirking. I froze up. I already had my back to them, but the pain the words sent spiralling through me was unbearable. I stayed rooted to the spot for about ten seconds, and then one singular tear broke free and rolled down my cheek. I did the only thing I could.

I bolted.

_D/I/K/Y/?_

I was sitting in Chad's dressing room, my shoulders trembling.

"Wait, wait, wait, _hold up_!" Aforementioned best friend exclaimed, putting his hands up like he was defending himself. "They said _what_?"

Sighing miserably, I recounted everything the Nightmare Pair had said about me- except for the part about my father.

"Why those-" Chad's furious voice snapped. I distinctly heard him punch something. I continued to stare at my lap, knowing he was most likely silently glaring at the wall. Suddenly his hand was below my chin, pulling my face up so I would meet his eyes.

"What else did they say, honey?" He asked. I closed my eyes for a second. _Darn Chad. Darn Chad and his ability to read me like a flipping BOOK._

"There is no more," I said unconvincingly.

"Sonny..." He said warningly. "I _know_ you. And my Sonny-senses," I snorted quietly at that, but he continued. "Tell me that there's more. And that it's what made you _cry_," He sounded so disgusted at the word cry. Like making someone cry was the worst possible crime. It took me a second to remember that when we were little, to him it _was_.

"Fine," I muttered. "They said my daddy didn't really die," He looked confused. Another tear rolled down my face. "They said he r-ran away be-because he was a-ashamed to ha-have me as a-a daughter," I stuttered out in a tiny voice. I was staring straight ahead, waiting for him to react in some way.

It took him about two minutes to do anything. And when he did do something... Well, he started yelling. And I can't repeat what he was yelling, because my mouth might go on fire if I repeat the _politest _of those words. And the worst part was, I couldn't even tell him off, because honestly- those words applied pretty well.

I waited quietly until he ran out of profanities. "All out of your system?" I teased weakly. He turned and wrapped his arms around me wordlessly.

"Hey, what was that for?" I asked, confused.

"First, you're my best friend- do I need a reason? And second, this is my way of making sure I don't rip their heads off. Having you close _calms _me..." He muttered into my hair, inhaling deeply. If it hadn't made me feel so much better, I would have rolled my eyes. This was one of his 'protectively close' moments. When we were little and something hurt me, he would immediately hug me tightly and mumble something about 'stay in one piece,'. Kinda like Bella's thing when she's reminded of Edward in the middle of _New Moon_. Yep, I'm making Twilight references now... Chad was mumbling revenge prank plans under his breath.

I hugged him back briefly, then pulled away.

"It's okay Chad." I said.

"What?"

"I _said_, it's okay." I said clearly. "You don't have to attack the Nightmare Pair."

"The heck I don't! Sonny, they made you _cry_!" He emphasized. I poked him.

"I know. I was the one bawling, remember?" I said pointedly. He nodded reluctantly. "And _I_ say I'm not pulling revenge." I said firmly.

"But-"

"Chad, sweetie, when you left, I went through a lot worse. I can deal, 'kay?" He flinched. I knew it was a low blow, but I truly didn't want to face Marta and Devon after what they'd said. And Chad leaving _had_ hurt pretty bad... But not as much as what had happened afterwards, between then and my coming to Hollywood. I was broken from my thoughts by Chad talking.

"So, you _don't_ want to get revenge?" He asked, disappointed.

"I don't." I assured him. He pouted like a little five-year-old. I messed up his hair.

"Hey!" He put a hand up to smooth it, but I caught his fingers.

"Nah, leave it like that. It looks cute." I giggled. To my surprise, he dropped our hands down- away from his hair. Huh. Sweet :)

"I gotta head home. Packing, y'know." I said a few minutes later. He looked at me with sad eyes.

"Do you have to?"

"_Yes_, I have to. But you can come over later if you want." I conceded, rolling my eyes slightly as he smiled. He's so... Chad. And I adore him for that. I pecked his cheek and walked out, waving once.

_D/I/K/Y/?_

"Hey, hey, Son-ay!" My best friend greeted me as he barged through the door of my apartment. I rolled my eyes as my mom told him off half-heartedly. We all knew he wasn't going to stop doing it.

"I'm in my room Chad- no, do _not _come in!" I yelled, just as the door barged open. I finished pulling my shirt on as fast as I could. I turned around to see him with his hands over his eyes, whistling cheerfully. I was pretty sure he'd had his eyes covered the whole time, which relieved me. It didn't stop me from being annoyed though.

"Chadwin, didn't I tell you _not_ to come in?" I snapped. He held up his hands.

"First, sorry... Second, yeah, but you were a little too late- I already had the door open. And third, as soon as I heard you yelling, and I realized you didn't want me to come in, and the door was already open, I covered my eyes. I don't even know what you were doing when I came in." He assured me. I stared at him suspiciously.

"Promise?"

"I promise." Our little moment of smiling trustingly at each other was broken by my mom yelling.

"CHAD!" I glanced at him.

"Uh oh..." We muttered in unison.

I walked out, my hands dug deep into the pockets of my sweats. (**Do sweats have pockets?) **Chad followed after me, a nervous look on his face.

My mom glared, her arms crossed.

"Explain." She said darkly. Chad opened his mouth but I kicked him subtly.

"Chad came in while I was trying to tidy my room. My room was a tip, so I didn't want him to come in. He came in anyway and laughed at me not wanting to come in over something like a messy room. Okay?" I babbled quickly. An expert in cover stories, Chad nodded smoothly, instead of looking like it was the first time he'd heard of any of it happening. Mom softened and nodded.

"'Kay... what do you two plan on doing with yourselves tonight?"

"Well, I want to finish packing, but I also want to have dinner, but I'm in the mood to make food..." I turned to my blonde best friend. "You in?"

"Sure," He said, grinning. He grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the kitchen. I plugged my iPod into the speakers, and soon enough music was pounding loudly.

"Pizza?" I yelled over the music. Chad nodded happily. I pulled the ingredients out of their respective drawers and cupboards. I got Chad rolling the dough on the counter. Leaning back, I just watched him work. His tongue was stuck out in concentration and he was staring at the dough like he thought it would roll better if he did. He frowned.

"Pass me some flour, Sonny-Son-Sonshine," He requested absently. I just stared at him for a second before grabbing a handful of flour. He turned to me expectantly, his eyebrows raising. My lips slowly curved into a smirk.

"Take this!" I yelled, before ungracefully dumping the flour over his head. His eyes narrowed playfully.

"Oh, really, Munroe, really?" He asked. And before I knew what was happening, we were having an all out flour war. Every surface of the kitchen had at least a sugar-coating of the white stuff. My mom poked her head in, but just shook her head.

I laughed at the flour all over him, and he suddenly smiled evilly.

"Come here, Sonny-Son-Sonshine," He cooed sweetly, opening his arms. "Come here..." I backed away, laughing and shrieking. It was pointless, though, because he hugged me anyway. And then, just to rub it in, he dumped flour down the back of my t-shirt. I pulled away and started throwing flour at him again.

Finally, he laughingly held his hands up in surrender.

"Truce?" I snickered but nodded. Just then, a really awesome song came on- an old song that we recognised from when we were younger. Whooping, I danced across the room and turned the music up ever louder, and started singing along.

"_Well it's a quarter to four, we're hangin' out at the pizza place..." _I sang/yelled. It seemed appropriate. Chad snickered at me. I pointed at him. "SING!" I commanded. Laughing, he sang as well.

So, that's how I ended up dancing around my kitchen, singing at the top of my lungs and shoving a homemade pizza into the over with my best friend, Chad. Crazy, huh?

"Let the truth be known, _I_, just wanna date a surfer babe, I hope I'm not a little too late, _you_ don't think you're my type-" Chad sang. I laughed. The words just seemed so... odd.

"But you are, but you are, but you are!" I finished for him.

About twenty minutes later, the over pinged.

"Finally!" My hungry best friend growled, pulling it out of the oven. I rolled my eyes playfully as he took a deep sniff. His face crinkled as he set the plate on the table.

"Huh." I gave him a strange look.

"What?"

"It smells weird," Chad muttered. I stared at him, walking over to sit across from him. I dumped the plates I'd picked up on the table.

"It's _pizza_, Chad. How in the name of tomato sauce could it smell weird?" Of course, he just had to take that as an incentive to hold the pizza up to my face and tell me to_ smell_ it. I took a deep sniff, and nearly choked.

"It smells..."

"Weird?" He interupted. I rolled my eyes.

"Like a hot dog." Now _I _was getting an odd look. "What? It does?"

Chad snorted. "Figures. The one time we cook with out exploding the over or something, and we manage to make _hot-dog pizza_." I laughed, putting a slice of pizza on his plate and shoving it towards him.

"Just eat." The pizza was good, despite its weirdness, and we finished it soon enough. Putting a few leftover slices in the fridge for my mom, I turned to Chad.

"Can you help me pack?" I asked. He grimaced.

"Sonny, we both know I suck at packing!" He whined. I grinned.

"I know... but I'll definitely need you to zip up my suitcase." He groaned and followed me to my room. He groaned again when he saw clothes all over my floor.

"Let's get this over with," He muttered.

_D/I/K/Y/?_

Two hours later, I was sitting on top of my suitcase, which was sitting on the living room couch, while Chad tried to zip up the full case.

"Did you _really_ have to make it so full?" He grumped at me. "Could you not have split your stuff between two suitcases?"

"I only _own_ one suitcase!" I told him.

"You coulda asked me for one. Heck, you even could've put some of your stuff in my suitcase! This. Thing. Is. Too. Full." He snapped. I giggled.

"What?" He asked.

"You're so overdramatic, do you know that? Just pull the zip, Chad. It'll be okay."

After a few more minutes, Chad cheered in victory.

"I got it zipped!" He announced. I laughed.

"I'd noticed. Now, come here." I shoved my suitcase on the floor and patted the couch beside me. He sat beside me. I knew he was still worried about my reaction to Marta and Devon earlier, so I leaned my head against his shoulder.

"It's alright. I'm okay, you're okay, we're okay," I mumbled. He put an arm around my shoulder.

Suddenly, I heard the front door burst open. Knowing that my mom was in the other room, I sat up straight and moved so that there was a space between me and Chad.

"Hey, Allie!" Oh, my gosh. Tawni?

Tawni froze at the sight of Chad.

"What is _that_ doing here?" She sneered, and just like that, my temper snapped.

"_He _had a name, _his_ name is Chad, and _he_ has every right to be here, unlike you, who was never invited in!" I yelled at her, getting to my feet. Chad subtly grabbed my arm to stop me ripping her head off. She stiffened in shock.

"You're defending him? What's he even _doing_ here?" She yelled back at me. I clenched my hands into fists. But Chad spoke before I could.

"Sonny invited me over to help her pack. We're bein' forced to spend a few weeks in each others company, so we're tryin' out bein' civil." He drawled simply. He chose now to go all Texas? I realized he was probably having as much difficulty keeping his temper as I was. Chad pulled gently on my arm, and I sat down slowly.

"Nothing more, nothing less. Now, why are _you_ here? No offence, you just kinda barged in." I said tonelessly, still stiff. I didn't like her being here when she was being so controlling.

"I just came to hang out. Is that such a crime?" She asked flatly. I glared at her, annoyed. She didn't have any right to talk like that!

"Well, Tawni, you just _assumed_ I'd be free, you just _barged_ in, and then you insulted my guest. You were rude and harsh and mean. So yep, a problem there is." I knew I was going to regret not keeping my temper in check, but I didn't really care. Best friends before scumbags.

"Well, if I'm such a _problem_, I guess I'll go then!" She snapped. I narrowed my eyes.

"Yeah, I think you should. You're my friend Tawni, but I won't let you-" I broke off, realizing I was about to give away the fact that Chad was my best friend. "I won't let you control me."

"Fine!" She yelled, flipping her hair and storming out. I glowered at the door.

"Self absorbed..." I muttered

"Did you just call her a witch?" Chad asked, interested.

"No, but it rhymed with that," I smirked at him. We started laughing, the tension broken.

_D/I/K/Y/?_

CPOV

At about nine-thirty I left Sonny's. She waved at me. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay and watch movies and do prank calls. But sadly, I had to go face the reality that was my family. Or rather, my step-father.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized my mom and sisters were home. That meant Charles couldn't hit me, right? I opened the door.

"I'm home!" I called. My mom came rushing down the stairs to hug me.

"Hey, darlin', how was your day?" I asked.

"It was good, Mom... Me and Sonny made a really weird pizza." She opened her mouth. "Nah, don't ask. So, how was _your_ day?"

"It was good, sweetie. Now, I'm goin' out- I'm bringing the girls out on a little shoppin' trip. So, Charles is the only one who'll be home. Okay?" No. No, not okay! Help!

I remembered Charles' promise, though, and composed my face. "Have fun, Mommy," And then, I hugged her.

A few minutes after they'd left, Charles came into my room. I left it unlocked; there was no point in fighting. Ever since the time I'd snuck out, if I locked the door he just broke it down. No, I mean it.

"Hello, Charles." I said calmly.

"Stand up when you talk to me!" He snapped. I complied, trying to hide the shaking in my legs. "And that's _Dad_ to you," He added, shoving me roughly. A sharp stab of pain jolted up my spine as my back hit a chest of drawers. I gritted my teeth, determined not to cry out. He would enjoy that.

He didn't deserve to enjoy that.

"Get up, you stupid little runt!" I didn't get much choice, as he grabbed my shoulders and yanked me to my feet. I bit back a whimper as my shoulder- which was already injured- hit off something. I swayed were I stood, exhaustion making it hard to stand steady. I let my eyes slip close for a second...

_Wham!_

My head snapped back as I felt a fist collide with my face. The back of my head hit off the wall, and I fell to the ground.

"You gotta learn to hold out better than that, Chaddy," Charles whispered to me. I was revolted to feel that he was close, and tried to move away. Too late- the pain already inflicted added to the fear had me paralyzed. He backed off, and I groaned and pushed myself to my feet. It was hard.

"I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, y'know." I informed him. My voice was slurred, like a drunk's. _Oh great, concussion..._

His voice snapped coldly, like a whip. "You're not going anywhere."

A twisted smile played across my face; I had something Charles couldn't beat me away from.

"I have to... studio trip. I'll lose my... job if I don't go." Through my half open eyes, I could see the annoyance in his face. In my opinion, he loved my money more than he loved my mother.

"Fine." I sighed in relief, but stiffened when I felt his hands grab my shoulders again. His breath blew in my face, and it reeked of alcohol. I wondered in a vague part of the back of my mind if I could get drunk off of the smell. Charles turned and stumbled out of the room, breathing heavily. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, and collapsed onto my bed. I just wanted to lie there and never get up...

I could hear Charles' heavy footsteps clumping up the stairs. I closed my eyes, praying he was going to his own room. _Please..._

Of course, with my luck...

The door barged open for a second time. I forced my eyes open and threw up a little in my mouth; he'd only left to get another bottle of booze.

"Yes, _Dad_?" I hate that word. I hate it, I hate it, I _hate it_.

"I'm not done with you, you stupid brat!" I clung to the edge of my bed for a second before getting up. With the amount of alcohol in his system, I wasn't getting anywhere near sleep tonight; I'd be unconscious instead. I set my shoulders, waiting for him to attack me.

Charles didn't disappoint. He charged and punched me in the head, causing me to fall to the ground. My vision was already going black, but he wasn't finished yet. I was already hurting, and I let out a scream as his boot collided with my ribs. He laughed roughly, and I felt a hot surge of hatred.

He kicked me again, causing me to skid across the floor and hit my head on the leg of my desk. I grunted, trying not to black out. I couldn't focus on anything but the pain spreading through my body.

I gasped sharply as I felt Charles' hands pick me up off the floor. This couldn't be good. I froze up, and shrieked in fear as I realized his intention; just seconds before he carried out what he was going to do. His arms tensed and then released, and I went sailing through the air, and hit the wall with a _crunch_.

The last thing I was aware of was Charles laughing.

SPOV

I rolled over in bed, my head aching. It was only eleven thirty.

Groaning, I picked up my phone. I had a message.

_From: Tawni_

_To: You_

_I'm not talkin 2 u_

I gritted my teeth; I'd kind of expected that. But I wasn't ready to apologise yet; I wasn't the only one who'd acted like a selfish, controlling brat. I rubbed my forehead, and dialled Chad's number, glad I had his personal number. He'd given me that number after realizing I had his 'public' phone number.

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

"_Hi, it's Chad. Obviously, I can't reach my phone for some reason. I'll call you back later. Please leave a message after the tone. Beeeeeeep!"_

I rolled my eyes. Typical Chad.

But then I realized; when did Chad not have his phone on? Chad was as much of an insomniac as I was; there was no physical _way_ he was sleeping.

So what the heck was going on?

**A/N Okay, I'm SO SORRY that this took so long! I stayed up to nearly half four (in the am) on Tuesday morning trying to finish it, and then I couldn't sleep, which meant I didn't wake up until after two o'clock in the ****afternoon****, and then I had to go out... and then the cycle repeated, and I had one of my best friends over so I couldn't write, and she was sleeping over, so I couldn't finish this until now!**

**But, I hope you liked this chapter... even if I DID torture Chad... **

**Review, cos well, reviews are love ;)**

**Hannah x**


	37. On Our Way

**A/N Hey, dudes, I'm finally getting this chapter out! Yes, I am a lousy updater at the minute. It's the summer holidays; my mind is too busy going 'meh SLEEP!'**

**Seriously, though, I apologise. A nasty combination of insomnia and sleeping in has resulted in a **_**very **_**bizarre sleeping pattern; aka, the other night I slept from 5am to 2pm. What the heck? Yeah, I know.**

**Okay, enough about me! You're not here to listen to me ramble about myself. You're here to read! (A fact which still stuns me, really...)**

**As a quickie side-note, I got a Tumblr recently, and I have a huge Fanfiction post :P Check it out, because it's got summaries for the stories I'm thinking of starting next! **http:/ /beinghannah923. tumblr. com/ **Except, without the spaces, lol!**

**Do any of you count 'freaking' as an offensive swear word? If so, let me know, and I'll cut it out. I don't like swearing, but I don't think of that **_**as**_** a swear word.**

**IMPORTANT: My best friend recently joined Fanfic, and she just uploaded the first chapter of her first story! Check it out; Run by KitKattheGreat123. It's a Dr Who and Twilight crossover, and it's awesome :P Anyways...**

**Here we go!**

Chapter 38

On Our Way

SPOV

On the morning of the first day of the bonding trip, I actually got up on time. Yes, I'd suffered from nightmares and insomnia; but I'd gotten up on time. A great achievement for me, actually. I would throw a party, but I was sort of preoccupied with trying to get my suitcase out the door. Of course, it _was_ 4am, so I was trying not to wake my mom... a plan which totally failed, by the way. Mom came running out of her room, and threw her arms around me before I knew what was happening.

"Oh, Sonny, I can't believe you're leaving already!" She shrieked in my ear. I winced. My mom is a morning person... ugh. "Oh, you're getting so grown up!" Oh man, the whiny teary 'my-baby-isn't-a-baby-anymore' rant. It was a motherly rant, but a rant all the same. "What am I going to do without you, baby? I'm going to have to cook, clean... I'm going to be all alone!" I decided not to roll my eyes, and instead giggled at her mournful tone.

"It's okay, Mom! You can invite some of your friends over. And don't you do the cooking and cleaning anyway?" I raised my eyebrows for added affect. She scoffed.

"With you and Chad around? Nah, remember that rule I made about cleaning up your own mess in this apartment? Yeah, sweetheart, you and Chad make all the mess," She pulled a face, still in a weird mood about me and Chad's relationship- friendship. It's not a _relationship_ of you're friends. Right?

This time, I did roll my eyes at her, sticking my arms out for another hug. "I love you, Mom," I mumbled into her shoulder. She kissed the top of my head.

"Love you too, honey. Call me at least every other day, alright?"

"I promise..." After a few minutes, I glanced at the clock. It was nearly time to leave! "Uh, Momma, I have to go now... I'll call you when we get to our first destination, m'kay?" She giggled at the word destination, rolled her eyes about something or other, and _then _allowed me to leave.

I pulled along behind me, praying it wouldn't knock into my ankles and decapitate me. (**Personal experience...) **I did _not_ need that to happen. Falling face first down the stairs wasn't high on my priority list.

I finally reached the bottom and shoved my case into the boot of the car, and not without difficulty. It was _heavy_. Then again, at least I only had one suitcase! It was a fair compromise in my mind. I actually arrived early to the studios. Following the orders from Mr Condor, I drove around the back of the buildings and parked in the staff garage. This was where our cars were going to stay until we got back from the trip; the studios were providing the cars and all that jazz.

I got out, tugging my suitcase out with difficulty.

"Need help?" A voice asked shyly. Suddenly totally in a good mood, I turned to the person, beaming.

"OH, yeah, that'd be great!" I gushed, before realizing it was... Grady. Awh. I love Grady to bits, but he has this crush thing on me _still_, and I don't want to lead him on. I see him as a brother... and I don't approve of incest ;)

It was too late, though. His chubby face lit up with a gentle smile, and he carefully lifted my suitcase out, setting it on the ground right side up. I couldn't help but smile a little at him.

"Thanks," I murmured, a teensy bit worried about the look on his face. It would be fine.

After about half an hour, most people had arrived. Because it was so early in the morning, it was still kind of misty and dark. The streetlights were on, and it was raining. I looked up at out through the door, seeing the rain reflect off of the light. I pursed my lips, slipping into a dream world. (**Experience again. I totally space out when I look at dark, rainy landscapes. Especially when I'm in the car)** I was jolted out of my dream by a familiar voice.

"Sorry I'm late... but I have a really good excuse, I promise," I giggled silently, turning to see a dishevelled Chad walking into the garage, his wet hair stuck to his forehead, a rucksack over his shoulder, and a _huge_ suitcase. A few people gasped out of habit; a few mutterings of '_Chad Dylan Cooper apologising?'_ ran through the room. I winced and moved away from the people around me slightly, grateful that the room was spacious. I wished everyone else would _use_ that space. I didn't want to hyperventilate.

Why was Chad shivering and soaking wet? Had he _walked_ here? I glanced up at his face carefully. He was smirking slightly, but he looked exhausted. Things were off, again, and more so than usual.

"I'm Chad Dylan Cooper, I can be polite if I want to," He deadpanned. "Especially at freakin' _four thirty _in the_ morning_," Typical, sarcastic Chad. I rolled my eyes along with everyone else.

"Please, Mr Cooper, I'm pretty sure no one wants to hear about your petty home dramas." The woman in charge glared. They'd hired some random chick to 'organize' the trip. I narrowed my eyes at her. Whatever was going on with Chad, I was pretty sure it wasn't petty.

I glanced around. Everyone looked so tired they could pass for zombies. Or vampires. Uh oh, not the obscure Twilight references! I should _really_ stop doing that. But yeah. Everyone looked ready to fall asleep where they were standing. I flicked my eyes back to Chad, and he looked _awful_. Not in an obvious way, though... It was more like... I don't know. But it kicked in my protective instincts, and only the wall of people in between us kept me from hugging him. Something that would _not_ be covered by our 'truce', I was sure

Zora looked much younger when she was tired. I had a sudden urge to hug her. Her eyelids were puffy. I wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned her head onto my shoulder. After a few minutes, I could hear her snoring lightly. Poor kid was exhausted.

The random woman who was leading the trip grabbed a mega-phone.

"Please leave your bags over _here_," She gestured to a large space beside her, "And we will load them on the coach. Please sit beside your respective partners on the coach. That is all," I stared at her- there was something familiar about her. The thing was, I was way too tired to figure out what.

I dragged my bag, and Zora, along behind me as I walked towards the coach. Catching sight of Devon, I caught his attention.

"Mess with her, and I will. Kick. Your. Ass." I growled, passing Zora to him gently. He glared at me sleepily, but held on to the sleeping girl. I glared for good affect and followed Chad onto the coach. Of course, he went straight for the back seats and took the window seat. I shot him a grumpy look, which he ignored.

It was going to be a long journey.

CPOV

I came to consciousness slowly. My head felt like a cement mixer. I groaned, rolling over onto my face. My eyes opened slowly. I sat up gingerly, feeling a flood of pain. I touched my forehead carefully. It felt sticky. I cursed Charles, rolling painfully to my feet. He'd cleaned my blood off the floor, but not off me. Good. I didn't want him touching me.

I walked into my en-suite bathroom to inspect my face. It wasn't too bad; my fringe hid most of the blood. I lifted it out of the way. The cut wasn't too bad; I doubted it would even need stitches, which was good, because I didn't have the time or the explanation to get them.

Speaking of time...

I flipped my phone out, which hurt, by the way, and checked the time. _4:20am_. Awwww, crap... I had to be at the studios in ten minutes!

Panicking, I hurriedly washed the blood off of my forehead, leaving my fringe damp. I glanced back at my reflection, and cussed under my breath. I didn't like cussing, but the situation was deserving of it. I quickly covered all the marks with foundation and fake tan. There's a reason Chad Dylan Cooper is so 'tan'. It's because he's forced to cover bruises with fake tan. If I wasn't used to wearing make-up because of my job, I'd refuse to do it.

I pulled a clean t shirt on, then checked my face in the mirror one more time, I grimaced. I looked normal. I looked like Charles had never laid a hand on me. I was covering for him. And that's the way it had to be.

And I hated it.

I found a note sitting in my room. I recognised the writing with a shiver of disgust.

_Chad,_

_I'm very graciously granting you permission to go on this trip. _I snorted. Gracious?_ However, you're not allowed to take your car. _Bite me. _And also, Chad... Just because you're away from me... that doesn't mean you're getting away from you're punishment._

_Watch your back._

_Dad_

I growled at the paper.

"You are not, and _never will be_, my father." I said, not caring that a piece of paper couldn't necessarily hear me. I grabbed my heavy suitcase, and shoved my bag over my shoulder. Knocking on the door of the room Mom and _he_ shared, I tapped my foot impatiently. After a few minutes, I realized I wasn't I wasn't going to get a response. I stomped down the stairs. As I opened the front door, it struck me how much I like the rain. I walked to the studios as fast as I could, the rain soaking me and making me feel cold, but I didn't really mind. It felt like it was washing away Charles' touch, and the blood, and the pain. I smiled up at the sky.

By the time I reached the studios, I was soaked through. I walked around the back to the garages, vaguely realizing I was late. Why hadn't I put a jacket on? Oh, yeah, I was late.

I held up my hands, shaking my wet fringe out of my face. "Sorry I'm late... but I have a really good excuse, I promise." A burst of mutterings let loose, and I rolled my eyes. I hate my cover. I hate him. Stupid CDC.

"I'm Chad Dylan Cooper, I can be polite if I want to. Especially at freakin' _four thirty _in the_ morning_," I snapped, wiping my wet hair away from my eyes.

The woman, who I presumed to be in charge, turned to me, frowning sleepily.

"Please, Mr Cooper, I'm pretty sure no one wants to hear about your petty home dramas." She said snarkily. I clenched my teeth, but my lips turned up into a small smirk when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sonny narrow her eyes at the woman. The lady turned away from me and started rambling on about what we were to do- apparently, I was the last to arrive. I ignored her and focused on holding on to my consciousness. I wondered if Sonny had any pain-killers; my head hurt like someone had dropped a brick on it. I snorted to myself. _Close enough_.

I followed others from my cast as they got on the bus. I dumped my suitcase by the designated area, flexing my hand in relief. It had cramped up. I went straight to the back seat of the bus, curling into the comfiest position possible. I stared out the window until I heard someone sit down beside me.

I was pleased- and a little confused- to see Sonny sitting there. I glanced around, expecting suspicious looks, but all of my cast were sitting with a Random. That's when I caught on to the fact that we were meant to be sitting with our partners.

"Hi." I whispered.

"Hello." She said back, smiling very slightly. She looked even more tired than I felt.

"Reckon we can get away with talking?" I asked. She shook her head mutely. I sighed and leaned my head back against the seat. Soon, I fell asleep...

_D'I'K'Y_

TPOV

I woke up a few hours into the journey on the stupid bus. Obviously, we were going out of state; we'd been on the 'bus' for ages. Ew. Buses are for poor people. On the other hand... it's _comfy_. I looked around, people watching. Grady and Marta were sitting as far apart from each other as was possible, identical looks of disgust on their faces. I chuckled as I realized that Grady was as disgusted to be near to her as she was to be near him.

I frowned as I noticed Nico and Chastity. They were talking- my stomach clenched as Nico laughed at something she said... I shook the thought out of my head quickly, turning to see Zora and Devon. I snickered as I saw the look of terror on Devon's face. Zora had her cold-cut-catapult pointed in his face as she slept. I turned around behind me to see Allie and Chad. They were in the very back, a few rows further back than anyone else. My mouth opened in shock as I took in their positions.

Sonny was half-lying across the seat- they had the whole back row to themselves- and her head resting against Chad's side. His arm was curled around her waist, and her arm rested across his lap. They were... cuddling.

I relaxed a little as I realized they both had their eyes closed, and were actually fast asleep. But still, really? Cuddling up? Chad yawned slightly in his sleep, and tightened his arm over her waist. In an odd way, they looked good together. They suited each other... or, they would, if they didn't hate each other's guts.

Huh. It's an odd world we live in.

CPOV

My eyes fluttered open. I freaked out internally as I realized me and my best friend were all cuddled together, in full view of everyone else. But the thing was, I was 1) too tired to move and 2) Sonny looked too peaceful to be moved out of her position. She was fast asleep, her mouth slightly open. I smiled down at her despite myself.

"Mmh..." She breathed. I smirked, well aware that she talked in her sleep. I felt something move, and I looked down, realizing she was clinging on to my t-shirt. Her hand contracted slightly, holding on for dear life. "Don't come any closer," She mumbled defensively. I gave her an odd look. I felt a pair of eyes on me, and glanced up to see Tawni- aka Blondie- staring at me. She didn't look surprised at the- um- odd position we were in, so this wasn't the first time she'd looked at us. What the heck? Stop staring Blondie.

Her eyebrows raised slightly when I glanced up again, and I knew what I had to do. I forced a shocked/disgusted look (I was too tired to really know) and extracted my arm from Sonny's waist, and gently pushed her away. No luck. Her head just rolled onto my shoulder. I sighed in pretend irritation, and shoved her off me. She lay down the other way, her head on the seat. I mumbled something like 'good enough', internally hoping she was comfortable. "Hello floor," Sonny mumbled into the seat. I rolled my eyes, and shoved my headphones in.

SPOV

I gasped and woke up. My hands flew to my legs, as I shivered in memory of the dream. Oh, now my darned sub-consciousness was reminding me? Joy. Just... brilliant.

I turned over. Where was I? I saw trees and stuff moving in my line of vision... Oh, yeah, I was on the coach! We were starting the bonding trip. I looked at Chad, who was staring out the window blankly, his headphones blaring music. I searched my bag, groaning as I realized I didn't have it with me; it was in my suitcase. _Darn_.

I poked Chad, who didn't respond, so I smacked his arm. He jumped like a foot in the air, yanking one headphone out.

"Whoa, Sonny, you scared me!" I raised my eyebrows, and he bit his lip.

"Can I have a headphone?" I asked suddenly. It was his turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Won't _they_ notice?" He whispered, gesturing to our casts. I shrugged.

"I doubt they'll care." He silently handing me a headphone, and I grinned. After about twenty seconds though, I pulled the iPod out of his pocket. He gave me a 'what the heck?' look, which I ignored, and searched through his music.

The Pigeon Detectives... _Nah_... The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus... _Tempting, but no..._ Avril Lavigne... _Really, Chad, really? I'm so making fun of you for that... oh!... _The All American Rejects. I put on 'Another Heart Calls,', my current favourite. I smiled as I listened to the mix of the voices on the duet. (**This song is actually a reject for their singing contest piece :P) **Chad gave me a 'look', but allowed the song to play. I looked around myself contentedly. Marta was glaring at us, so I grabbed the iPod. Chad, catching on, grabbed it back. I dropped my grip on it, and slapped Chad instead. He glared at me, and I smiled innocently. I glanced over to see that she'd looked away, and I rolled my eyes.

"Alright, kids, we're getting near our first destination!" The woman in charge called an hour later. "We are in... Colorado!"

Oh, cool! I hoped we were near Denver. I'd always wanted to go to Denver.

The first stop of the bonding trip...

We were on our way.

**A/N Okay, I know it was crap. It was very rushed sorry... I'm going out for a family meal.**

**IMPORTANT; ****THIS IS MY LAST UPDATE FOR ABOUT **_**TWO WEEKS.**_

**The reason for this being I'll be on holiday in Spain. I'll write a chapter, but I can't upload until I'm home.**

**Please still review though, I really wanna know your thoughts :P**

**Me is out ;)**

**Hannah x**


	38. Texting and Fighting

**A/N I'm back! I sincerely apologise for how long this has taken but... Yes, I'm back from my holidays, and seriously, the whole time I was there, I was being attacked by mad plot bunnies! I've actually been back since Thursday night, but this is the first chance I've had sit down and just **_**write**_**, since I got banned from my computer for a bit... There'll probably be a lot of flashbacking in the next few chapters, because I was so eager to get into the bonding trip that I left a few small details out. And there is going to be a LOT of angsty, scary stuff, but I'm going to try and mix in fluffy, funny stuff as best as I can. And unlike some bonding trip stories I've read, there will actually be bonding activities, rather than Sonny and Chad getting together and it all being relationship drama. I have a few ideas and... stuff :D And I'm sitting Google-ing tourist-y things in Denver as we speak ;)**

**Hope you like it!**

Chapter 39

Texting and Fighting

CPOV

I tapped my fingers against my arms, waiting for Sonny to stand up and move along. I crawled stiffly out of the seat behind her, wincing at the pull of my sore muscles. Oh, and for future reference, my head still felt like a cement mixer. Or maybe a blender.

It was nice and warm out in Colorado, which I was grateful for. I'd been freezing on the bus due to, y'know, being soaking wet. I checked my watch. _8.30 am_. Man, I'd been awake for five hours. It was gonna be a long day...

We were now standing in a group beside the bus. Everyone was still a little bleary eyes, except, that is, the stupid woman in charge. She was all perky and peppy. Evidently, _she_ managed to sleep on the bus. She clapped her hands to get our attention.

"Alrighty, folks, my name is Jenny Henderson, and I'll be your guide for the duration of this trip!" She called. I scrutinised her. She was young-ish, mid thirties, early forties maybe. Sonny was staring at her with a look of slight shock on her face. I shook her arm gently without looking at her. She jumped.

"What?" She mouthed. I pulled my phone out and typed a quick message.

_**To: Sonshine**_

_**From: You**_

_Pay attention!_

_**To: You**_

_**From: Sonshine**_

_I recognise her..._

_**To: Sonshine**_

_**From: You**_

_What? Who is she?_

Unfortunately, Sonny never got around to answering.

"Hey! You two, in the back! Am I boring you?" We both flinched and looked up to see Jenny staring at us, with her arms folded and her foot tapping impatiently. Sonny just gaped at her, obviously still thinking she knew her, and I shoved my phone in my pocket quickly. Due to the fact that Sonny was there, I kept my temper, even though everyone had turned to look at us.

"Um, no... Miss...?" I stuttered out, Texan upbringing kicking in.

"Henderson." She replied, looking a little surprise.

"Right. Yep, sorry, Miss. Won't happen again." I beat out politely. Miss Henderson- or Jenny- smiled slightly at me. I bit my lip as she turned to Sonny.

"What about you?" She asked her. "Don't you have anything to say?" Sonny pulled her face together quickly as all eyes turned to her.

"Uh... Sorry?" She said snarkily. I shook my head. Sonny's not a morning person.

"Less of the attitude, please." Jenny said frostily, before turning to face the group as a whole again. To my complete shock, Sonny rolled her eyes and muttered a

"Whatever!" before pulling her phone out again.

I sent her another text message.

_**From: You**_

_**To: Sonshine**_

_Put it away!_

She glared at me, but shoved her phone in her pocket.

"Have they switched personalities?" Tawni stage-whispered. I rolled my eyes, struggling to keep a straight face. Not that the CDC in me would care to admit it, but the Randoms are actually pretty funny.

"Alright, if _everyone's paying attention_," Jenny began, giving Sonny a pointed look. "I'll explain what we'll be doing while in Colorado. So, to you who haven't been here; yes, we are in Denver! It's a big area, so we may be using the coach quite a lot. But we'll be visiting a few tourist attractions, as well as taking on activities and challenges with your partners." She smiled sneakily, and I got a slight sinking feeling in my chest. A sneaky looking adult- never a good thing. The last time an adult looked at me like that, something quite private made its way onto every freakin' teen magazine in the state.

"So, that's all for now, guys. Now we're going to get to the hotel and get settled in. We'll talk more then." We each grabbed our suitcases, some of the girls looking mutinous as they realized they were expected to drag their own bags around. I snickered at the size of some of their bags; my case was only about half full of clothes. The rest was notebooks, a couple of sheets of blanks music, and quite a lot of books. Okay, I'll admit it... I'm a closet nerd. There was also a soft blanket in there- I couldn't stop myself bringing it, reputation be forgotten. It's a comfort thing, alright?

We followed behind Jenny as she walked, presumably towards the hotel. I bumped Sonny, who was glaring at the ground, gently with my shoulder.

"What?" She snapped.

"Someone needs caffeine!" I sang. Her glare intensified, and I snickered. Knowing I was only teasing, she relented and rolled her eyes.

A while later, we stopped outside a building. I craned my neck up to see the sign, announcing it to be the Hotel Teatro. (**A real hotel! It is pretty fancy- check it out, if you like.)**

"Okay, guys," Jenny said, once we'd all gathered in the lobby of the hotel. "While we're in Colorado, we'll be in rooms of three. As we're trying to _bond_ here, rooms will be mixed between casts." There was a bunch of moaning, mostly from the girls. "But, we will most definitely _not_ be having rooms with a mix of boys and girls." As a whole, I could see that all expressions (with the exception of Sonny and I) all held identical looks of shock and disgust, at the thought of romance in between the casts. ]

"So, room one will be..." She pulled a piece of her pocket and glanced at it quickly. "Chastity Ann DeWitt, Allison Munroe," I sighed gratefully, Chastity was nice. I was sure she and Sonny could manage to get along. The two girls walked over to stand beside the stairs, bags rattling. "And, finally, Marta... huh," She tutted under her breath. "Marta, why isn't your surname listed here?" Marta just shrugged, somehow managing to make the movement radiate arrogance. I bit my lip, glancing quickly between her and Sonny. Sonny had a look of pure terror on her face, which worried me. Her face flickered to fury, and I got a very, very bad feeling about their room arrangements. Marta strutted over to join Chastity, leaning over to whisper in her ear, putting her back to Sonny and effectively shutting her out. I crossed my arms, clenching my fists. I felt a violent surge of anger towards Marta as Sonny's face finally dropped to sad, defeated look. I glared at the floor, using all my concentration to control my anger. I only snapped out of my thoughts when I heard my name.

"Chad, c'mon, man!" Devon muttered to me. I realized I must have been giving my room assignment while I'd been too far away to notice, and tried to look nonchalant as I followed Devon and Nico towards our room. Devon wasn't exactly my favorite person in the world- especially after his teaming up with Marta to bully Sonny the other day- but I could tolerate him. Most of the time.

When we finally arrived at our room (apparently it would 'help us to bond' if we took the stairs rather than the lift) my arm was aching, and I was grateful for the opportunity to dump my suitcase on the floor. Devon unlocked the door, kicking it open with a lazy smile. I rolled my eyes at his dramatics- all because we had Nico with us! It was getting ridiculous, and we'd been sharing a room for ten seconds.

The room was nice, not too fancy, but not average either. There was a bunk bed, and one single bed on the other side of the room. It was fairly big, and it reminded me- with a pang- of the place I'd stayed with my family when we'd first come to Hollywood. A time pre-Charles, but post-Joe. We were a mess then, but we had some hope in our new beginning. Well... Mom did. I was too busy wanting to go home, and reeling from the thought that I was never going to see any of my closest friends ever again.

Trying to shake the sad nostalgia, I quickly claimed the single bed for my own. I wasn't sure whether or not I'd get nightmares, but it was better to be on the safe side. Plus, this way, I might be able to hide things that would break my reputation. Devon may be from my own cast, but he would sell things to the press in a second if he thought it would help his career. Nico was from So Random!, so I couldn't exactly count on having the vote of trust from him, now could I?

Ignoring the protests from the other two, I sank down on the bed, thinking. As much as I was rejoicing in getting away from Charles, I couldn't shake a nagging feeling that it wasn't going to be quite that simple.

_D/I/K/Y_

SPOV

Marta stutted towards the stairs, dragging Chastity along with her, totally abandoning her suitcase. Entirely ignored, I wondered idly if Marta realized she was supposed to bring her own suitcase. I risked a glance back at Chad. He was glaring at the ground, looking like a grumpy five year old. (**Amy... ;)) **I shook my head, and hurried up the stairs after Mall-Mart and Chastity. I would have _much_ preferred to have... Portlyn, even, in my room- Marta was a piece of work. I dragged my case after me, not really caring that we had to take the stairs. It wasn't like I'd had much need or opportunity to use the lift before- I liked going up the stairs to my apartment (plus the lift was on the opposite end of my floor) and I'd never stayed in hotels much growing up.

When I got to the room, I barely had time to take in the layout of the room before a blur of movement distracted me. I giggled softly as I realized it was Chastity, in her rush to claim the single bed. I walked over to the ladder of the bunk, having absolutely no intention of sleeping in the bottom bunk. Me and bottom bunks don't go together. But of course, just as my hand was about to land on the ladder, Marta shoved her face into mine.

"Where's my suitcase, Allison?" She demanded rudely. I was too shocked to be mad at her implication.

"Well, Marta, dear, you seem to have left it downstairs. Whoops!" I gave a laugh that sounded faked to my own ears, but this was a fight I was determined to win.

"Why didn't you bring it up?" She snapped, adding in a rather impolite word that I don't feel like repeating. Ugh, swearing. As if her personality could get any uglier.

"Well, Marta, you seem to be confused. I'm not your maid, and I'm not a mind-reader either. Did you seriously expect me to carry your case up the stairs for you?" I asked, some of my incredulousness leaking into my voice, marring the careful neutral tone I'd been trying to hang onto.

"Um, yeah, you should have brought it for me! And you shouldn't have to be told to carry my bag, Allison, or whatever. You should really learn how to respect your superiors." For a split second, all I felt was shock, and then a wave of blistering fury shook me. My hands clenched into fists.

"Sweetie, don't try that with me. You're not fooling yourself, and you're _certainly_ not fooling me." I snapped. Her expression didn't waver. I took a deep breath in through my nose, holding on desperately to the memory of what happened last time I was this angry. I had detention for a month, but the angry part of me hadn't cared. I'd just been satisfied that I'd punched that stupid football player hard enough to turn his face that interesting shade of purple.

Mall-Mart must have absolutely no common sense. "Go down and get my bag. Now." She commanded. Seriously, hadn't this girl twigged that I was mad? If she went on like this much longer, I couldn't be held responsible for what my fists would do.

So, Sonny Munroe's a fighter. Don't look at me like that! Nobody's perfect, and I'm further from perfection than most people.

I rolled my eyes, and turned to climb up the ladder. Just as I reached the top, I was shocked to feel Marta's clawed little fingers grip my ankle. I froze, gritting my teeth.

"If you don't let go of my ankle in the next three seconds, I am going to kick you in your stupid face. Three. Two..." I felt her release me, and as satisfaction made my smile, I was yanked down sharply. I didn't have time to react before I crashed to the floor, landing on my arm and causing it to make an interesting crunching noise. Ignoring the stab of pain in my wrist, I shot to my feet, all thoughts of calm forgotten.

"What the _heck_ was that about?" I screamed in her too-pretty, caked-with-make-up face.

"What?" She asked sweetly, her expression of innocence entirely unconvincing. As if the day couldn't get any stranger, this was when I heard Chastity's voice.

"What is _wrong_ with you, Marta?" She asked incredulously. "I mean, I knew you were mean, but seriously?" Either not noticing or choosing to ignore Marta's glare, Chastity actually turned to me.

"Are you alright?" She asked, sounding a little wary. I had, after all, spent the last few minutes glaring murderously at her castmate.

"I'm fine." I said, sounding equally wary. Hey, we're supposed to be two teens whose casts hate each other. We weren't sure of the other's reaction. To further surprise me, Chastity then smiled tentatively at me. I scrambled to smile back before she looked away.

"What are you doing, Cha-Cha?" Marta shrieked indignantly. I fought to keep a straight face; now would be a _really_ bad moment to laugh. But... I mean... _Cha-Cha_? And I thought mean girls only made up ridiculous nicknames in the movies...

"I'm just trying to fix the fact that you basically assaulted a So Random! cast member, Marty," Chastity said, her voice totally devoid of emotion. I looked at her face, and realized she was nearly as frustrated with Mall-Mart as me and my cast. Huh... So Marta really is the kind of girl labelled "Desperate Hollywood Idiot," then? Man, I didn't think they really existed... I was grateful for Chastity's effort, though, I really was. Even if it was just to stop me getting her castmate into trouble, I still appreciated it.

"I didn't exalt her, or whatever," Marta yelled indignantly. It was possibly the most truthful thing I'd ever heard her say. Exalt me, she definitely did not. "I was just putting the stupid-" Edit that word out Sonny, edit it out... "-in her place. I mean, she's a _comedian_, Cha-Cha!" If I wasn't so infuriated by Marta's attitude, I may have laughed at the unmistakable expression of mortification at the nickname _'Cha-Cha,'_. At least _someone_ realized how ridiculous it sounded...

"Marta, they are _not _slaves. Sure, our show may be better than theirs, but seriously, that doesn't make them inferior as people. Grow up and have a little respect." Marta and I stared at her in shock. Today was endlessly surprising me. Marta and I were agreeing on something? Marta opened her mouth to make a (doubtlessly idiotic) comment, but Chastity cut her off.

"Leave it alone." She warned Marta, in a tone that closed the subject completely. I cheered for her internally, not wanting to further upset the already unsteady balance. Chastity muttered something about going to explore. Marta darted over to the phone in the room. I watched her with amazement as I caught on to what she was saying.

"Hello?...Yeah, hey... There's a suitcase sitting in the lobby. Could it be brought up?... Yes, pink... Uh-huh, Marta... Room 316..." She hesitated, and for a second I actually thought she was going to thank the unfortunate member of staff on the phone. "If it's not up in ten minutes, I'm suing this stupid hotel." Then she slammed the phone down without uttering another word. Selfish brat...

I clambered up onto the bed a second time, but Marta stopped me _again_.

"Nuh-uh, I get the top bed." She said, angry that I'd even dared considering taking it. I rolled my eyes. Laying down, she was out of my line of vision. Years of expert pranking and sneaking out of my room had given me good hearing, though. She was standing at the end of the bed.

"First of all, it's called a _bunk_. Second, I'm already up here. What 'cha gonna do about it?" I mocked.

"This." She said sweetly, and I shrieked as she caught my ankles and _yanked_. For the second time, I tumbled off the top bunk. I curled into a ball instinctively, trying to prevent as much damage as was possible. My legs hit the ground first, but my head and torso followed soon after. Because of the ridiculously thick carpet, the only real injuries were new paranoia, and extensive carpet burns on my elbows and knees. Marta fell about laughing as I stayed on the ground, curled firmly into a ball. Seriously, couldn't she _stop_? Despite my will, I felt tear spring to my eyes. Not at the physical pain; the fact that she was laughing at my physical pain. And something deeper; ghost pain. The original injuries to my legs had long healed, leaving marks- but I couldn't forget. A strong memory washed over me, and pain lanced through where the injuries had once been.

"See, you stupid little girl. _That_ is why you should respect me. I can hurt you. And don't you forget it." I looked up at her, and she grinned at the horrified expression on my face. She clearly imagined it was a reaction to her words, although it wasn't. Honestly, I couldn't even really see her anymore. In my mind's eyes, another girl was standing before me; outstripping her by far in both causing pain and enjoying the cruelty. Shocked by the image, a single tear dripped down my face.

Amy's laughing increased.

As usual as when the memories assaulted me and mixed with reality like this- confusing me to my surroundings, to what was real and to what was conjured by my masochistic mind- I found myself utterly unable to defend myself. I was numb, cold, frozen up. I couldn't barely breathe, never mind tell both the present and past demons to let me go.

The terrifying spell was broken by a smart rap on the door. Still giggling softly, Marta half-opened the door, leaning out to greet whoever it was and blocking me from view. Oh, of course she didn't want anyone to see that she had apparently reduced me to tears.

"Your suitcase, Miss... Marta?" A shy-sounding guy asked politely. Marta straightened and pasted on a wide smile. Must've been good-looking enough for her to play with- and I had absolutely no doubt that she used dating as a form of entertainment.

"Oh, _thank_ you," She said far too sweetly. Even from the side view, I could see her batting her eyelashes.

"You're welcome, Miss." The boy said politely, backing out quickly. The slight amusement his reaction caused me helped me to finish defrosting from my frozen state. Marta turned to me, but I pushed myself gently to my feet before she could start gloating. She strutted over, putting one over-manicured (believe me, over manicuring is possible) hand on the ladder.

"_I_ get the top bed." She hissed, shoving me in the chest for emphasis. I stumbled, but was pleased to say I didn't fall again.

The door swung open, and we both turned to see Chastity re-enter the room.

"Hey, Marta, Allison," She acknowledged us cheerfully. Stunning me again, she turned to me. "How's the wrist?"

Funnily enough, I hadn't really thought about it. I flexed my hand, then each of my fingers. There was a sharp thump of pain in my wrist, but looking at it carefully, I figured it was just a heavy bruise.

"Fine... I think." I muttered. In truth, I wasn't actually sure. I would just push away the thought that it could be sprained, or even broken, because maybe that would make it true, that it was nothing more than bruised.

"That's good," She said sweetly, and I looked up at her in shock. She smiled at me briefly, before turning to Marta.

"So you got your bag then?" She asked, ignoring the other girl's furious expression.

"Of course," Marta replied, arrogant as always. Chastity's expression translated to something like 'I'm not even going to ask,'. Personally, I figured that that was a good idea.

"That's... um, good, I guess." She said politely, before turning and jumping on her bad. No, literally. She started jumping up and down on it.

"Whoa. This bed is _awesome_!" She yelled, waving her arms. Marta looked disgusted at her antics, but I was amused. Who knew a member of Mack Falls- other than Chad, that is- could be good fun?

"Aren't you two going to unpack?" Chastity asked, as she finally stopped bouncing and landed in a sitting position on her bed.

"Oh... yeah..." I mumbled. I unzipped my suitcase, my lips twitching as I tried not to laugh at the memory of Chad zipping it. I sorted through my things. Packing was something I hated, so I decided to only take things out of the suitcase if I needed them. I pulled my purple iPod out of a side-pocket and put my headphones in. I played a rare Flyleaf song called 'Eyes to See,'- something I felt went well with the situation with Marta.

Shifting to block the sight of the contents of my suitcase from view, I pulled a t-shirt of Chad's out, and hugged it to my chest. Okay- no one look at me like I'm a freak. I asked Chad for one of his t-shirts. He gave me a weird look too, until I explained it was to make the nightmares of his leaving go away. Then he'd just given me the top he'd been wearing.

I tucked it back into the suitcase quickly, then pulled out some clean clothes. Unlike Marta (who was now hysterical as she'd apparently forgotten some make-up) I actually _needed_ to change, because I'd slept on the way here. I changed quickly before Marta could get into the bathroom, knowing she'd take forever. I ran a brush through my messy hair, actually wanting to do with it for once. I plaited it patiently, going as slowly as I could while Marta hammered the door.

"Just a minute!" I called angelically. Marta started hitting the door harder.

"Get out of there! I know you need to fix your ugly face, but I AM MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU!" She screamed. I could faintly here Chastity reprimanding her through the door. After about five minutes of just sitting grinning at the door, I left the bathroom. Maybe that was unfair, but then again, she hadn't exactly been all nice and sweet to me either. Marta looked me over, a sneer curling her face.

"Whoa, all that time and you still look like a train-wreck!" She crowed. A huge grin lit my face. The whole 'train-wreck' look really appealed to me- leather jackets, messy hair, little make-up...

"Thanks!" I told her brightly, laughing at the look of shock that crossed her face. I sat down on the floor beside my bed, pulling my phone out.

_**To: Chadiford :P**_

_**From: You**_

_Your cast member Marta is possibly the most selfish person ALIVE_

After a few minutes of staring into space, my phone buzzed as I received a reply.

_**From: Chadiford :P**_

_**To: You**_

_Sorry about that... Had to wrestle my phone off Devon. It was nearly a friendship revealing disaster! :O Lol, Marta. I know. She makes the CDC look generous :L_

_**To: Chadiford :P**_

_**From: You**_

_You mean BEST friend disaster ;) haha, so you're actually stronger than him? My little Chaddy is all grown up! :P Wanna know what I did?_

_**From: Chadiford :P**_

_**To: You**_

_Exactly, little Miss Mind reader ;) and pfft... I'm stronger than you! Sure, why not?_

_**To: Chadiford :P**_

_**From: You**_

_That's me! :D seriously Chad... wanna bet? ;P I went into the bathroom, got done getting ready in about five minutes, then sat grinning for a bit while Marta hammered the door :)_

_**From: Chadiford :P**_

_**To: You**_

_Ikr? Um... no. I'm still recovering from last time... :L Lmao! You are just too cool, Sonshine ;) and here I was worrying you'd lost your pranking ability!_

_**To: Chadiford :P**_

_**From: You**_

_And I still have the cash to spend! HA! Aww, thankies :) *gasp* how could you think such a thing! I'm offended... :'(_

_**From: Chadiford :P**_

_**To: You**_

_... _

_You're welcome :) Awww... sowwy Sonshine :(_

_**To: Chadiford :P**_

_**From: You**_

_;) I'll consider forgiving you... maybe :P_

_**From: Chadiford :P**_

_**To: You**_

_Uh oh... gotta go! Love ya x_

Taking that as a hint not to reply, I shoved my phone in my pocket, and looked up to see Marta's eyes on me. The look of spite in her eyes caused a shiver of memory at the edge of my mind.

"Who were you texting?" She asked, eyes narrowing. I tried not to look as if I'd been caught doing something I shouldn't.

"I... My best friend." I said, suddenly realizing, with a surge of relief, I could get out of this without actually lying.

"Who'd want to be friends with _you_?" She asked nastily. However, instead of being hurtful or reminding me of anything bad, it sounded way too much like a Harry Potter quote, and burst out laughing.

"My best friend, obviously," I giggled. She rolled her eyes to cover her resentment at losing.

"Whatever. It was probably really your mom, but if you want to try and make me believe that..." Now _that_, that irritated me.

"Why are you trying to insult me, Marta? I haven't done anything." I said, blinking to look confused (and to stop myself punching her).

"You're a stupid _Random_. The fact that you're in the same room is enough to make me mad." She said poisonously. I just rolled my eyes. Seriously- the whole 'Randoms are inferior,' thing was getting really old.

I stood up, leaving my phone on my bed, and started to walk towards the door. To my relief, Marta didn't try and say anything more. I had just opened the door when an odd sound made me turn around.

The sight nearly made me have a heart attack.

Marta had my phone in her hand, and I knew instinctively that she was looking in my messages.

_Uh oh... gotta go!_ Chad had texted me.

Uh oh, indeed.

**A/N Yes, I am FINALLY updating. I am incredibly sorry for the long wait! But this chapter was a lot of fun to write :D Sorry there's not a lot of Chad and Sonny together in this chapter, but at least they were texting! **

**I tried to emphasise some things about what Sonny's hiding here; there's a deliberate typo in there! See if you can spot it ;)**

**On a completely random note, if you ever want to download music, try www. Listen To YouTube .com (without spaces). It's really good; I've downloaded all the music I can't get anywhere else for free! **

**Tell me what you thought of the chapter- review! :P Oh, and I hope the nearly nine full pages, near five thousand word chapter makes up for the huge wait ;P**

**Reviews are love!**

**Hannah x**


	39. Coffee and Bruises

**A/N So... I'm already starting this update. I'm bored :P Well done to everyone who caught my deliberate typo! I knew y'all could do it :D Yes, I made Marta **_**really**_** nasty in this story... soz. I'm a sucker for adding a good bit of angst and drama! If you skim through previous chapters, you'll notice a few small edits have been made; the biggest being to chapter 34 'Just Chillin' (re-read that, please!) and changing the age of Chad's youngest sister Esme to seven. Alrighty? :)**

**Onwards ;)**

Chapter 40

Coffee and Bruises

SPOV

After a few long seconds, self preservation broke through shock and I dived and Marta. She moved out of the way too quickly though.

"Tell me a random four-letter number," Marta said, not looking at me. I gave her a strange look. What exactly was she asking that for? And a four _letter _number?

Then it struck me. My messages needed a password.

I could have laughed aloud as I realized she was trying to get me to tell her my password.

"I'm not an imbecile Marta. Now, give me back my phone." I said, with relief clear in my voice. Saved by paranoia! Once I'd started texting Chad, I'd been so nervous that someone would get bored enough to nosy through my phone that I put a password on my texts. Now, nearly two months later, the decision was turning out to be a wise one.

"You know, I don't think I will." Marta said arrogantly. "I think I'll just... _keep_ it, until I find out the password, because, you're _obviously_ hiding something. I just need to know what that something is." Her eyes glittered with unfiltered hatred. My fingers twitched as I fought to keep my hands by my sides.

"I said, _give it back_!" I practically growled, privately wishing my glare would cause her stupid cocky head into flames.

"And _I_ said 'no'," She replied, poisonously sweet. My hands curled into fists. _Gosh, I'm so cranky in the morning..._

"Well, I think you'll find that I'm going to be better at getting my phone back than you're going to be at keeping it, Balatico." I snapped, starting to lose my calm façade.

"I doubt-" She began, but was cut off as I made my move. And by that, I mean I dived at her again, and managed to wrestle my phone off her this time. She made to take it back off me, but I wasn't having it. In a moment of desperation, I did something fairly stupid.

I tucked and rolled across the floor, and when I reached the door, turned and yelled "Peace out, sucker!" and waving my phone at her.

"Why are you doing Chad's thing, you little freak?" She asked, eyes narrowing. My stomach lurched at my mistake.

"Trust me hon, it was _my_ thing _long_ before it was Chad Dylan Cooper's thing." I winked, slamming the door as I left.

"Did I just do that?" I muttered to myself, lounging against the wall. And then, I couldn't help myself. I laughed.

_D/I/K/Y_

CPOV

"Who you texting, Chad?" Devon asked.

"Um..." Was my brilliant reply. Yeah, I definitely deserve, like, a round of applause for that.

And then he came and looked over my shoulder.

"What are you doing, nosy?" I asked, looking at him weirdly.

"Just sitting with my bud!" He said, smiling. I edged a few inches away from him, and sent one last text to Sonny.

_**To: Sonshine**_

_**From: You**_

_Uh oh... gotta go! Love ya x_

"Love ya?" Devon scoffed. I dumped my phone on my bed, then sat on my bed. On top of my phone. Yeah, professional, I know.

"You're creeping me out, man." I informed him. Devon rolled his eyes.

"Whatever dude. I just wanna know who you're sending love texts to," He sniggered. Something told me that saying 'my best friend,' wouldn't be the wisest answer.

And yet somehow, they managed to be the exact words that tumbled out of my mouth.

Devon's eyes bugged.

"Your... Your _best friend_? Dude, are you gay or something?" I closed my eyes, pushing away the embarrassment and willing myself not to blush. My will was ignored; my cheeks burned dark red with humiliation.

"My best friend, who is a _girl_." I clarified hurriedly, worried about inadvertently causing my castmate to have a heart attack.

Devon and Nico both stared at me in utter silence for about five minutes. The only noise was some screaming from the floor above. (**Hint, hint; the boys room is directly below the girl's room ;)**

"Okay, stop it." I snapped, finally unable to take any more. They didn't move. "Stop staring at me! I didn't do anything wrong!"

Devon blinked slowly, which was the most movement there had been in the room in the last few minutes.

"Dude. How come you never told anyone you have a girlfriend?"

I hit my forehead in exasperation.

_D/I/K/Y_

"No, I won't talk about my flipping best friend!" I yelled fifteen minutes later, sick of Nico and Devon's questions. Even though they were enemies, they had been more than willing to team up to get me to tell them all about my best friend. I was hating myself more and more each second for even _admitting_ to having a female best friend.

Of course, their endless stream of questions didn't stop for a second.

"What's her name?"

"Where's she from?"

"When do you ever even see her?"

"What age is she?"

"Is she good looking?"

"How is it possible to have a girl best friend whose not... a girlfriend?"

"SHUT UP!" I screamed, fighting the temptation to jump out the window just to get away from them. That would feel like losing. And suicide.

"Whoa, dude, we just asked a few questions. No need to be mean!" Devon whined. I jumped to my feet, grabbed my phone before either Nico or Devon's dives for it could be successful. I walked out, and closed the door carefully. The _click_ of the door locking was very satisfying.

Ah. Darn. I was locked out of my room. What to do?

I shrugged and walked down the stairs to explore the hotel. There was a fancy restaurant, a little gift shop (I love the little gift shop, heh) and a newsagents, which had several machines in it; a soft drinks machine, ice cream machine, and most attractively, a coffee machine (I really needed the caffeine). I smiled, stuck my hands in my pockets, and entered the lobby. Ducking my head so no-one recognised me- I really despise the attention, which is unfortunate, being a celebrity- I wandered over to the little shop. I needed to get my mom and sisters presents, which was probably better to do when I wasn't surrounded by cast-members.

I was distracted from my efforts to pick out presents by my phone vibrating.

_**From: Condor Studios Info**_

_**To: You**_

_All cast members please meet outside the hotel restaurant in the lobby_

_J Henderson_

I walked over and sat outside the restaurant. Man, I wished they would use the info number instead of the intercom... Intercoms were so... annoying. Slowly, all the others trickled in.

"You got here first?" Chastity asked me with a mixture of amusement- and shock. I shrugged.

"I was already down in the lobby." I said, trying to be subtle as I looked over her shoulder to find Sonny. Thankfully, Chastity turned away to talk to Portlyn.

"Looking for me?" A soft voice said from behind me. I turned, although I didn't need to look to recognise the voice.

"Hey." I smiled.

"Hi." Her smile was tiny, but it made me happy to see it all the same. Actually, in that infinite moment, I was happy just to stare at her and see her eyes shining back. Before I'd realized what was happening, I was lost in her eyes. My _best friend_.

And that was just too cliché for words. Not to mention weird.

And the worst part? I didn't care.

At all.

"Okay, everyone!" Jenny Henderson's voice tugged me from my thoughts (and my best friend's eyes) abruptly. "Today is going to be fairly chilled, just spending time with your partners-" Universal groan. Mine was rather forced, and Sonny's somehow managed to sound sarcastic. "-and eating lunch in the hotel's café. _Café_, not restaurant." Why that was emphasised, I have no clear idea. "Meet back here at one thirty- in the _afternoon_, Mr De Vane," She added, glaring at Skylar. I sniggered.

"You may go!" Jenny added as an afterthought. I turned to Sonny as my castmates walked unenthusiastically to their respective partners.

"Let's get this thing done." She said in a mock-monotone. Marta came up behind her, bumping into her forcefully. The Texan in me fought not to tell her not to be so rude. The _best friend_ in me fought doubly hard not to rip her head off.

All of me was surprised by _Sonny_'s reaction.

"Leave me alone for once, Balatico!" She snarled, her hands curling into fists. I gave her a shocked look, but Marta just scoffed. I looked at her like she was insane. Hadn't she noticed she was about three seconds away from being punched in the face? Deciding to stop Sonny getting in trouble, I walked into the newsagents quickly. I quickly bought a huge paper cup on mocha, with cream on top, then walked back out. Hopefully she'd managed _not_ to kill Marta in the past two minutes. I tugged at her arm to distract her from glaring. She turned to me, the look on her face only lightening fractionally.

"Here you go." I said, smiling.

"Oh, thanks!" She said sweetly, a blinding smile lighting her face. She then glanced at Marta, and for a second I was scared she was going to burst the paper cup as her fingers tightened. Getting hot coffee everywhere wasn't the best idea, so I was grateful as she took a long sip.

"Let's go." She said to me, now studiously ignoring Marta, the same way I ignored her new coffee-cream moustache. I shot her a look as she grabbed my arm and effectively dragged me away.

"Subtle." I snorted. She took another gulp of coffee.

"Did you want me to rip her head off, then?" She asked conversationally.

"Well, as much as I would have enjoyed it, I'd have hated for you to get in trouble so early in the day." I smirked. She smacked me on the back of the head. "Ow!"

"There, now I'm officially past the temptation to commit murder." She said sweetly.

"And hitting me helped that how...?"

"It made me feel better." Sonny shrugged. I just rolled my eyes.

"Well, the cream moustache has made _my_ day loads better." I said casually. She gasped and wiped the cream off her face. I sniggered.

"Don't be mean." She pouted.

"I wasn't being mean. Actually, it was very nice of me to point that out before someone else saw it." I said logically. She rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself.

We walked in silence, coming up to the hotel doors.

"Reckon we're allowed to get out of here?" Sonny asked, gazing outside wistfully.

"Hold on, I'll go see." I muttered, and was rewarded with a huge smile.

I walked over to the woman Sonny was so sure she recognised. There _was_ something kind of familiar about her...

"Hey, uh, Miss Henderson, are we allowed to leave the hotel?" I asked politely.

"Who is your partner, Mr Cooper?" She asked, rather than answering my question. I quashed my irritation in an effort to remain polite.

"It's Dylan Cooper. And, uh, Sonny- uh, Allison Munroe, Miss." I said, for once feeling the need to use Sonny's full name. A small, sly smile flickered across the woman's features. I eyed warily, with the sudden odd feeling she knew a bit more about me than Marshall and Katrina did.

"Yes, you and Sonny can go outside." She said, giving me a big smile. Something very weird was going on, and I walked back to my best friend quickly.

"Miss Henderson said we could go." Sonny gave me an odd grin.

"Figures. You always were good at persuading us out of trouble Goldie," She said, pitching her voice softly on the off chance that someone heard. I smiled, hooking my thumbs in my pockets.

"That I was, Miss Munroe. Shall we go?" I asked. She glanced around before gently looping her arm through mine.

"Let's."

_D/I/K/Y_

"What time is it?" asked Sonny.

"Eleven thirty." _Time for another cup of coffee_.

"Two more hours."

"Yep." I was bored. Really, really bored. We both were.

Having realized the fact that paparazzi could catch a picture of us without us noticing, and we didn't know where to hide in the largely unfamiliar city, we'd ended up standing outside the back of the hotel, along with a brick wall and some rubbish bins. Yep, we were sitting in the ally behind the hotel. Quite honestly, it stank, and the ground I was sitting on was uncomfortable. _And we both really needed some caffeine._

"Time for more coffee?" Sonny asked hopefully, as if reading my thoughts.

"Yes, exactly, Miss Mind-reader." I teased, standing up and helping her to her feet. She wiped the dirt from her jeans while I waited impatiently.

"Gosh, I'm a mess." She mumbled to herself as she followed me out of the smelly ally. I turned to her, frustrated.

"No, you are not." I said grumpily. It irritated the way she seemed to see herself sometimes. We walked through the streets of Denver, looking for a Starbucks, because Sonny didn't want to go back to the hotel.

"There!" Sonny exclaimed abruptly. I turned to see her pointing excitedly down the street at- lo and behold, a Starbucks. I cheered and ran, dragging her behind me. As we skidded to a stop outside the coffee shop, she pulled her wrist free sharply.

Sonny walked in ahead of me, shooting me an amused look over her shoulder. I hung me head sheepishly, hoping there hadn't been paparazzi around. She just rolled her eyes.

"Hi, can I have a double mocha with-"

"You're Allie Munroe!" The girl behind the counter said excitedly. _Uh oh._ "And you're that guy from Mack Falls!" She added, catching sight of me. I would've done the stupid CDC-arrogance thing, but I was tired, my head was aching, and there was no real point anyway.

"OMSR! Are you two here... _together_?" She asked, pointing excitedly between the two of us.

"Uh... yeah...?" I said, hoping the girl wouldn't explode.

"OH MY! OH MY! Channy is ALIIIIVE!" Both our mouths dropped open as it dawned on us just what she'd meant by _together_...

"No, no, no, no, no, nooooo!" I yelled, at the same time as Sonny going,

"We're not a couple!"

"NO, NO, NOOO!"

The girl put her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, I get it! Jeesh, you two are kinda over-defensive there, aren't you?"

"No." We said together. The girl just raised an eyebrow.

"O...kay then... Welcome to Starbucks. Can I get you anything?" We proceeded to order, then walked over to a free booth quickly.

"Ah... comfortable seats!" Sonny sighed contentedly, sinking into the cushioned seat and taking a gulp of coffee. Before I could say anything, she shot me a glare and wiped cream off her face. I smiled in amusement.

"Remember the first time we went out for coffee?" I wondered. She snorted.

"How could I forget? I ended up getting grounded from seeing you for a week. Oh, and getting banned from caffeine until I was thirty-five."

"Ahh, so you _do_ remember. Good times!" I laughed, and was rewarded with a kick under the table. Lovely.

"Ouch. Why, Sonny? Why do you feel the need to injure me?" I pouted at her.

"Cute. Real cute, Chad."

"I'm glad you think so. You are too, you know." I peeked up in time to see a blush blossom across her cheeks.

"Shut it."

"I mean it."

"Me too." She smiled sweetly. "Shut up before I hit you." Her voice was so totally innocent while she said that.

"Awwww, you're mean to me."

"Have to keep you under control somehow. Goodness only knows you could have destroyed the building by now if I weren't here."

"You know I only seem to break things when you're around? I've been fairly good the past couple years."

"Oh? Does that mean I should leave? I mean, we can't risk Starbucks being burnt to the ground, can we?"

I rolled my eyes at her teasing.

"Nah, you're safe- I crave the caffeine high too much." I said, silently pleading her not to leave.

"Good. I need my caffeine. If you take away my coffee, I might just have to kill you." She mock-threatened.

"Aw, it's so sweet that you can admit to your caffeine addiction."

"I'm not addicted!"

"Are!"

"Aren't!"

"Are!"

"Aren't!"

"Aren't"

"Are! _Darn_ it!"

"Ha, I win."

"Fine, I admit it. I'm a little teeny bit addicted to caffeine."

"Good! The first step is admitting you have a problem, y'know."

"Fine! Ugh..."

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"So are we good?" I asked, laughing.

"If you buy me another cup of coffee, we'll be _so_ good." Sonny said hopefully. I snorted. I got to my feet, snorting.

"Very subtle, Miss Munroe." I glanced at her, then walked up to the counter.

"Hi again." The girl greeted me, smirking.

"Can I have a plain black coffee and a shot of espresso, please?"

"Sure." I paid the girl, but as I went to walk away, she called me back.

"I thought you two having that fight was supposed to only be a rumour." She said, her smirk intensifying. I glowered at her.

"Here ya go, Munroe." I dumped the tray down on the table.

"How can you always tell which coffee I want?"

"Do you really want to know the answer to that? Let's just call it a gift." I dead-panned, sliding back into my side of the booth.

"Cheers!" Sonny said, holding up her espresso. I grinned and gently tapped my coffee against hers.

_D/I/K/Y_

At one forty, me and Sonny were ten minutes away from ther hotel. Our eyes met, and in a moment of understanding, we both started running. With my longer legs, I started to get quite far ahead, so I reached back and grabbed her hand, pulling her along behind me.

When we skidded in through the hotel doors, we were still fifteen minutes late. All eyes turned to us.

"Care to explain, you two?" Jenny Henderson didn't look surprised or even annoyed. Just amused.

"We were at... Starbucks." I explained, panting slightly.

"There's a Starbucks here?" Skylar asked, surprised.

"Not in the close vicinity." Sonny muttered loudly at the same time as I said;

"Why do you think I'm out of breath?" I pointed out.

"You two are forgiven. Just get back on time next time, okay?" Jenny seemed to be struggling not to laugh.

"Next time?" At least four cast-members asked in unison. I couldn't help but laugh. Sonny's higher giggle joined in with me.

"Let's go eat, kids." Jenny said, cutting off our laughter- and the weird looks that were being shot in our direction.

The café was small but nice. Evidently, Jenny had decided we'd been forced to spend enough time with our partners for now, and didn't argue as we split into ours separate casts. The tables were close together though, and I couldn't help but glance at Sonny every so often. She was facing me.

"So, how bad was Munroe?" Marta asked nastily when we'd sat down with our food. I could tell Sonny had heard from the look on her face. "I mean, she didn't try to flirt with you _too_ much, did she?"

There was some sort of choking noise from the Randoms' table.

"I mean," Marta was, unbelievably, still talking. "I know she's desperate, but she was acting like she's good enough to talk to you and even _me_, and she dragged you out as if you wanted to spend time with her or something! I mean, she's a stupid little Random; she's closer to a slave than an acquaintance." She finished with a very loud, donkey-like laugh. There was then utter silence as the So Random! cast slowly each put a restraining hand on Sonny's shoulder. My own cast stared at Marta with disgust. Seriously, that was taking things_ way_ too far. Even Devon- part two of the Nightmare Pair- didn't seem to find her little rant entertaining.

_**To: Sonny**_

_**From: You**_

_I'll deal with this. Because I think my cast wants to kill her nearly as much as yours does._

Sonny's phone beeped loudly, and she didn't even stop the other Randoms looking over her shoulder. They gave me a look of surprise- there was no anger there.

"Listen to me, Marta." I said, slowly and loudly. "Shut up. Shut up _now_. First, Sonny has done absolutely nothing untoward- she isn't a flirt. Second, why do you hate her so much? I mean, the Randoms are well... ugh, but what the heck? Did she cause you to chip a nail or something? Get off your high horse, because out of the two of you, I think I'd actually rather spend time with her than with you. At least she doesn't act like I'm her jealous boyfriend and tries to tell the paparazzi we're dating so much that she's banned from going to the magazine publishers on her own. She's a _much_ better person than you are. No offence- actually, I take that back. I hope I offended you. I hope I really, _really_ offended you." I spat. Marta stared at me with a look of despairing shock on her face.

And the thing is, the rest of my cast actually... _agreed_.

As did Sonny's cast, apparently.

The only person who didn't nod or give some form of approval was Sonny herself. It appeared she was going back to her food, as she picked up her plastic spoon and dug it in her food. But as she raised her hand, I realized what her intentions were.

With the other Randoms distracted, they'd stopped restraining her for a few seconds. And that was all the time Sonny needed to get some food, bend the spoon back and then... _twang_.

Shot the food.

Directly onto the back of Marta's head.

There was another second of silence.

And then an explosion of sound.

I found myself on the floor, gasping for breath, and it took me a second to realize I'd fallen onto the floor out of my chair I'd been laughing so hard. My ribs hurt, but I couldn't stop. No one else seemed to be able to either. Everyone but Marta were in various states of mirth- clutching chests, tears rolling down faces, or like me, on the floor. Marta didn't help herself much when she stood up and yelled "THERE'S SOMETHING IN MY HAIR!"

Quite the contrary, really. I think we all just laughed harder.

Under all the hilarity, no one noticed as I got a text message.

_**From: Sonny**_

_**To: You**_

_Today has been a win for Team Channy, don't you think? ;)_

And oddly, I totally agreed.

_D/I/K/Y_

Chastity's POV **(I've grown quite fond of her as a character, guys :P)**

I smiled as Chad ranted about how much better than Marta Allison was. There was a spark in his eyes, and he looked really angry; not irritated like he got at the rest of us sometimes, but _angry_. He was protecting her, and it was adorable. I glanced back at Sonny, and although her hands were still clenched, her gaze was on Chad and it had softened considerably.

Sometimes I think I should just quit Mackenzie Falls, because I just don't think the same way as the rest of them. They hate the Randoms- or at least, the majority of them. I couldn't help but grin as I looked from Allison to Chad and back again.

Later, after Marta stalked away (overdramatic, that one) and everyone had managed to stand up, Allie had detached herself from her cast and walked over to Chad. All eyes were on her, but I don't think she cared.

"Thank you." She said, looking him straight in the eye. And then, shocking us all (even me) she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. My cast- including Chad, apparently- were too busy looking shocked to react.

Chad's reaction was hilarious, though. All the blood rushed to his cheeks, and his eyes dropped to the ground.

"You're welcome." He said shyly, managing to meet her eyes. The fan-girl inside me squealed at how cute they were acting together. Yeah, so I think they should be together. With displays like this, can you blame me?

Allison smiled mischievously at him, and then turned and walked away. I wanted to high-five her- and not just for splattering rice-pudding in Marta's hair either (I'd determined what the sticky substance was after she shrieked incessantly at me for five minutes) but for how she dealt with Chad. She'd knocked him down a few notches since coming here; sure, he still yelled at us, but it just didn't have the same _spite_. And I'd seen them, just a few times; talking, laughing. _Together_.

So most people think they hate each other, but me? I don't buy it.

Not for a second.

But it's adorable, and it's not like I can do anything about it.

_D/I/K/Y_

SPOV

We got to spend the afternoon with our casts, but later, in the evening, we had to spend time with our partners again. During the day, the pain thudding through my wrist had been growing steadily, and it now felt like it was on fire. I had my hand shoved firmly in the pocket of my jeans. I was uncomfortably aware that my wrist didn't exactly look the right colour anymore, but I didn't want to give Marta the victory of whining about it. So I just gritted my teeth and resolved to keep it hidden until it had healed...

...Of course, having your best friend being the son of a nurse didn't help much. Everyone else had headed out of the hotel, so we just sat in the hotel café, talking. My fringe flopped in my eyes, and I wiped it away distractedly. Chad's intake of breath was enough to make me realize my mistake, and his fingers gently caught my arm before I could put my hand in my pocket.

"Sonny, what _happened_?" He asked, looking horrified. For the first time, I _really_ looked at it. It was swollen, and it was a dark black-ish blue in the middle, with dark red skin surrounding it. Okay, I lied. It did not look the right colour _at all_.

"I um... hurt my wrist." I said weakly. He gave me a look.

"I gathered that, girl. _How_?"

"Um..." He didn't seem to mind me stalling for the moment; his fingers probed my wrist lightly, feeling the swelling.

"It's broken." He informed me. I groaned. I'd been _so_ sure...

"What happened, Sonny-Son-Sonshine?" He asked, eyes boring into mine, along with a _totally_ unfair use of nickname. I sighed.

"I fell off the top bunk." I said emotionlessly. The less he knew, the better.

Apparently, though, my emotionless tone tipped him off.

"How did you just _magically_ come tumbling off a top bunk, Son? Those things have bars to stop that happening, y'know."

I breathed a sigh of defeat.

"Marta pulled me." I mumbled.

"What?" He asked, anger glinting in his eyes.

"I said... Marta pulled me!" I said, audible this time.

"She did WHAT!" Chad yelled. I flinched, and he looked down at me.

"Sorry, sorry... I just get mad when someone hurts my best friend." He glowered furiously. I put my good hand on his arm comfortingly. He twitched, looking like he wanted to go hunt Marta down.

I couldn't let him do that. This was my battle.

His reaction was also one of the main reasons I hadn't told Chad about what I was hiding. He'd explode before I was near the worst parts, then go kill someone. I knew Chad. He didn't have the best temper when it came to protecting his mum, his sisters or... me.

"Okay, okay. This is what we're going to do. _You_ are going to stay here, and _I_ am going to get a first aid kit. Then I'm going to come back, and _I_ am going to fix up your hand as best as I can, and then _we _are going to decide what to do about Marta. Okay?" I nodded meekly, knowing he was balancing on a very fine line with his temper.

He ran out quickly. I sat, swinging my legs lightly, thinking. I could never tell Chad about what had happened while he'd been out of my life. He'd never forgive himself for letting it happen, and I'd never forgive myself for causing such guilt and pain to him. Telling him would be destructive for both of us.

About ten minutes later, he got back.

"Here." He said gently, placing an ice-pack on my wrist. He then proceeded to assemble a make-shift brace for my wrist. I watched, fascinated.

"Guess having a nurse for a mother pays off, huh?" I joked weakly.

"Uh... yeah, haha." He said, making an effort at finding something funny in the situation. I needed him to not kill Marta, as much as I'd love for her to _not_ be a part of my life. He fitted the brace to my wrist. He then took out a large bandage thing, and looped it around my arm, tying it at my shoulder.

"There!" He said, sounding pleased with himself. I looked down at the make-shift brace and sling, feeling proud of him myself. He'd done a good job, admittedly.

"Thank you." I said gently. I intertwined the fingers of my good hand through his. "Really, thank you for everything. For sticking up for me today. For buying me coffee. For trying to fix my wrist." My voice broke a little. "For being there."

He hugged me gently, careful not to jostle my wrist. "I'll always be here." He said softly. "Whether you need me or not."

**A/N Aww, cute ending. I hope y'all liked this chapter! It's like a record update for me, considering the length of this chapter...**

**I'm not sure why I gave our Channy a weird coffee obsession, but sure. It's fun, right?**

**Review... cos reviews are love!**

**Gonna go watch Heroes with my mum now... Byyyyeeee!**

**Me is gone :P**

**Hannah x**


	40. Hospitals and a Confrontation

**A/N Hello :) This chapter is dedicated to ChAnNyObSeSsEd for leaving me, literally, one of the nicest reviews I have ever read- much appreciated :D, and also to all of my Twitter/Fanfiction family- you people are **_**incredible**_**, each and every one of you *heart* Also, I've taken a lot of liberties when it comes to treating broken wrists and the location of some things. Enjoy!**

Chapter 41

Hospitals and a Confrontation

SPOV

"For the hundredth time, I'm _fine_!" I assured Chad. He was trying to convince me to go to the hospital to get my wrist checked out. From the way he hadn't given up yet, I could see I was fighting a losing battle.

"This needs checked out, Sonny." He muttered, tracing my hand with his finger. I tried to glare at him instead of softening.

"No, it doesn't. You put it in a brace and stuff... isn't that enough?" Flattery probably wasn't going to work, but it was worth a shot. "I mean, look, you did such a great job! My wrist feels fine. Really." I bit my lip. I looked up to se Chad's eyes on me. I smiled hopefully.

"Sonny, that's temporary, okay? You need your wrist checked by the experts." He told me gently- and firmly. Despite myself, I felt irritation flaring up. He was being _pushy_. Now, I could name a few pushy people for you, and I'm not particularly fond of any of them. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Chad Dylan Cooper, do not _push_ me." I hissed menacingly.

"Sonny Allison Munroe, I think you _need _to be pushed on this one." He countered, barely blinking. I sighed. He knew me too well to take my threats seriously.

"Honestly, kids, you can hear you two bickering in the lobby!" An annoyed voice announced from behind me. I turned away from Chad, distracted, to see Jenny.

"Oh, hey, Miss Henderson." I said, forcing a grin. She looked down at us, amused. I turned back to my coffee, assuming that she'd just leave or go on with whatever she was doing and hoping to avoid arguing for a minute. Chad stood up abruptly.

"Alright, let's go."

"What?"

"Come _on_! I'm bored!" I rolled my eyes and drained the last of my coffee before standing up. I walked ahead of him towards the doors of the café. I could hear him breathing as he walked behind me- _right _behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and nearly walked into the door in fright. His head was practically on my shoulder- or, it _would_ have been, if he hadn't been a good six inches taller than me...

"Sorry." He said, and then put his hands at my waist. Before I could yell at him, he abruptly, lifted me and flipped me casually over his shoulder in a fireman's lift... and kept walking.

"Sorry." He apologised again, but this time he was grinning.

"What are you doing?" I asked, in a voice of deadly calm.

"Oh, y'know..."

"No, I DON'T KNOW!" I yelled, kicking my legs.

"Sonny, please stop that before I drop you."

"I _want_ you to put me down!"

"Yes, well, dropping you and putting you down are two completely different things. Trust me on this one." He told me. I just growled.

CPOV

As Sonny picked up her coffee, I mouthed to Miss Henderson what needed to be done. She agreed reluctantly. I stood up quickly, and argued Sonny into leaving. I walked close behind her, which seemed to unnerve her. I apologised for what I was bout to do, then flipped her quickly over my shoulder. I cringed to myself as I thought of the reactions of the press, but pressed on, despite the fact that I now had a very angry best friend. She kicked her legs, giving me a lovely view of the bottom of her Converse. I kept walking, keeping a hand on her back to make sure she didn't slide off and hit her head; that would completely ruin the purpose of this.

I winced as Sonny started beating her little fists on my back.

"Stop it."

"Not until you put me down!" I pretended to think for a second.

"Um... No, wait, not going to happen." I told her. She growled again. Ignoring the people gawking at us, I walked through the hotel doors; just as the others were coming back in. Oh, joy. Better to pretend not to see them.

"What are you doing, Pooper?" Nico growled, gesturing at Sonny. I smiled pleasantly.

"Oh, nothin'..."

"Allie, are you okay?" Tawni asked, sounding shocked- probably because she had momentarily given up on trying to kick free. My own castmates were too busy staring at me with identical looks of irritation and shock to do a thing.

"Oh, I'm fine, just hangin' here, y'know..." Sonny said sarcastically, then hit me with her uninjured hand again. "Because some _idiot_ refuses to set me down." I grinned good-naturedly, before starting to walk again.

"Where do you think you're taking her, Pooper?" Grady growled. I glanced at his furious expression and felt a stab of annoyance as I remembered Sonny mentioning him having a crush on her. I narrowed my eyes at him and fought the urge to say it was none of his stupid lovesick business.

"That's what I'd like to know!" Sonny chimed in, kicking futilely. I rolled my eyes.

"I guarantee you, it's not like you think." I muttered, then started walking again.

"Hey! We're not done here!" One of them called behind me. I ignored whoever it was. I heard the quick footsteps behind me, and turned to see the rest of the Random cast. I shrugged as best as I could with my skinny best friend draped over my shoulder.

"Come if you want. It's only Sonny whose gonna get annoyed..." I smirked. I could hear the Randoms follow as I walked, but I didn't comment. I didn't have the faintest clue where the nearest hospital was, but Sonny was light and I was willing to walk for as long as it took. I hummed lightly.

"Chad, do you even have any idea where you're going?" Sonny asked. It was odd hearing her voice come from behind me like that.

"Um..."

"I'll take that as a _no_, then, you idiot!" And then she hit me again. I winced. We reached the end of the street then, and to my relief, I spotted a sign pointing towards the Denver Health Medical Centre, which looked promising. I headed towards it, and could hear the Randoms muttering among themselves behind me.

I strolled nonchalantly into the hospital; pushing easily through the queue at Casualty (most people were too busy gawping to be indignant about the bunking) and smiled pleasantly at the woman at the desk, despite the fact that Sonny- having finally figured out what I was doing- was kicking and punching and shrieking at me more than ever.

"Hello, can I... uh, can I help you?" She asked uncertainly.

"Yes. Well, I think that she might have broken her wrist but-" I broke off as Sonny nearly catapulted herself off my shoulder, and shifted my grip to secure her. "- but she's not too keen on getting treated, see, so I had to carry her." I beamed at the woman's puzzled expression, and sniggered as I heard Sonny mutter something that sounded suspiciously like "Interfering idiot."

"Oh... okay, um, just go on through those doors there, and turn left. I'll get someone to treat you." I grinned my thanks.

Nico's POV

Just down the street from the hotel, we met up with all the other pairs- except for Chad and Allie. I had a feeling Henderson had decided to keep them in for being late earlier. Speaking of, the two of them were acting _weird_. Chad stood up for her. Allie threw food at Marta (although, admittedly, that had been pretty awesome) and then _kissed_ him. Only on the cheek, but still. She occasionally kissed the rest of us on the cheek, but that was just an Allie thing. She likes doing things like that. I'd assumed she had to actually _like_ a person before doing that- and she hated Chad. Probably just grateful.

I saw the hotel doors open, and nearly had a heart attack when I saw Pooper- with Allie over his shoulder. Even from a couple of feet away, I could hear her protests. The rest of the cast and I started towards them, going into protective family mode.

"Allie, are you okay?" Tawni asked, shocking us as usual with her concern towards Allie. Sure, Tawni is lovely- superficial, but lovely- but it took her _months_ to start to warm up to the rest of us, and she'd taken to Allie in about an _hour_. I glanced at Tawni while Grady took over grilling Pooper, and couldn't help but smile. She'd finally consented to join the family.

"Oh, I'm fine, just hangin' here, y'know..." Allie said sarcastically, faking nonchalance. I snorted. Her sarcasm had surprised me at first; she was so... _nice_. But it was too hilarious to be annoying. She thumped Chad's back. Cooper made to leave.

"Hey! We're not done here!" Zora called furiously. She may be the 'little sister' of the group, but she's also very protective. As one, we followed Chad. Allie occasionally thumped him, and kept pulling faces and such at us. My eyes narrowed in thought as I noticed the makeshift brace on her arm. What did Pooper _do_ to her?

Just as I started to get the feeling Chad didn't know where he was going, he straightened a little and there was more confidence in his steps. I looked up to see a huge sign proclaiming it to be the Denver Health Medical Centre. What the...?

We followed them into reception. Chad cut through the queue easily.

"Yes. Well, I think that she might have broken her wrist but- but she's not too keen on getting treated, see, so I had to carry her." Allie started freaking out while he was talking, but he just tightened his grip on her. I stared at his back in shock. How the heck had he managed to break her wrist? Was he trying to look like the good guy, taking her to get it treated? And why in the world was Allie putting up such a huge fight?

As they walked through the doors- and the rest of us were still following- I heard Allie say, "Chad, I swear, if you put me down now, I won't punch you in the face for kidnapping me..." Personally, I felt that she was probably telling the truth- she'd just get us to kill him instead. But Pooper just shrugged cheerfully and said,

"Ah, Sonshine, but what you _will_ do is leave without getting that wrist looked at, and we can't have that, now we can we?" I couldn't see his face, but I could tell from the tone that he was smirking. I think Allie just gave up then.

"I'm Dr. Keyes. I hear I have a young woman with a fracture to treat?" A pleasant voice asked. Chad pulled Allie off his shoulder and set her on her feet, and it was obvious he was being careful. Trying not to annoy her (anymore than she was already annoyed) or hurt her. With a jolt, I realized he was being _caring_.

"This is her." He said obviously. Allie narrowed her eyes at him, but turned to the young doctor.

"What are your names?" She asked. Chad introduced everyone quickly, even the whole of our cast. I was surprised that he said our names, never mind _remembered_ them. It wasn't something he often offered to do.

"Uh, yeah... I think my wrist is broken. It's taped up pretty good but Chad decided to drag me to the hospital anyway, whether I wanted to or not." She bit her lip, looking embarrassed. Dr. Keyes looked up at them, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Let me see," Allie reluctantly slid her arm out of the sling, and held her wrist out for inspection.

"I'm afraid I'll have to take this off." Dr Keyes said, tapping the brace. "Very well done, though. Did you do it yourself or...?" Allie didn't look up; just unwrapped the brace.

"No, Chad did it for me. He made the sling as well." She muttered, still staring down as she managed to take off the brace. _Chad?_ I flinched at the sight of her wrist; it was swollen and pretty badly bruised. Dr. Keyes tutted under her breath.

"Well, what I am going to do is get an x-ray of this. Is that okay?" Allie nodded slowly.

"Come with me then. Would you like one of your friends to come with you, Miss Munroe?" I'm not sure who was shocked the most when Chad put a hand up and said;

"I'll go."

In a way, I wasn't really that surprised.

_D/I/K/Y_

"Something terribly weird is going on." Grady said. We were standing in a loose circle, waiting for Chad and Allie to come back from the x-ray room.

"I know," I agreed. "First, he goes off on Marta when she says mean things about Allie, then _she_ _kisses_ him- in gratitude! Then, her wrist mysteriously gets broken somehow, and he _tapes it up_ for her, and then drags her to the hospital to make sure she gets it treated _properly_." I ticked it all off on my fingers, at a loss as to how so much could have happened in one day.

"It... could all be part of their... truce?" Zora asked, looking hopeful. Tawni shook her head.

"No way. Besides," She hesitated for a second, then leaned forward conspiratorially. "There's _more_." My mouth dropped open. More?

"What else could have possibly happened?" Grady exclaimed, beating me to the punch. I swear, we have some kind of mental connection- he took the words right out of my mouth.

"We-ell- you know how we had days off just before leaving for the trip?" We all nodded- honestly, it hadn't really been that long ago. "Well, I went her apartment to see if she wanted to hang out or something, and cos it's just, y'know, Allie and her mom, I just went in, right?" (**Ugh, run on sentence)** My curiosity was definitely piqued now. "So, I went in- and he was there!"

It took me a full three second to work out what she had just said.

"Wait, what? He was there? Like, hanging out?"

"Yeah!" She said, getting really animated now. "They were sitting on the couch- I don't really know what they were doing, cos they heard me come in. Anyway, I was like 'what is he doing here?' and she _defended_ him!"

"No. Way." Grady gasped.

"Uh huh! And then, he was like 'I'm helping her pack. We're practicing being civil for our truce,'" She impersonated Chad, her tone mocking. I could tell the memory was still getting her riled up. "And then, and _then_, she threw me out!"

"What?"

"Yeah! She said I had no business insulting her guest, and I was like, 'maybe I should leave!' I thought that would make her back down, but _no_, she actually went and told me that I _should_!" Tawni ranted on, her tone scathing. I could hardly believe what I was hearing...

"It sounds as though you both handled it badly." Zora said suddenly. Tawni glared at her- as nice as she was, she did _not_ appreciate being told she was wrong. Especially when it came to friends- or technically, family.

"_She_ was the one to overreact!"

"_You_ were the one who barged in and started yelling at her!" Zora _did_ have a point. Not that I'd admit that- I didn't want Tawni to murder me, thank you very much.

"Break it up!" I snapped as they started to bare their teeth at each other. Both looked at me, a little shocked.

"Anything else, Tawn?" I asked, expecting the comforting answer of _no_. But...

"Yes, actually!" Are you kidding me? Grady looked like he wanted to kill someone. "On the bus, they were both asleep, and while they were asleep, they totally cuddled up!"

"Seriously?"

"Yep! And he woke up, and he just kind of looked at her, then he saw me looking and forced a look of disgust, and pushed her off. So... in short, he didn't _want_ to push her off!" Oh, this was just _wonderful_. "I always thought he had a crush on her!" Tawni giggled. WHAT?

"You don't think... she likes him... do you?" Grady asked, with difficulty. I shot him a sympathetic look. Poor guy, he really liked her... And he'd told me about what happened- she'd rejected him before he even could ask properly.

"Nah. I do think she kinda enjoys the attention though." I opened my mouth to speak, but I got cut off _again_.

"What are you gossips talking about?" Allie's voice asked from behind me. We all whirled around, trying not to look guilty.

"Nothin'." We said as one. She didn't look like she believed us too much, but she let it go as Chad and Dr. Keyes came in behind her.

"Well, Miss Munroe, you're pretty lucky!" Dr. Keyes said, clipping Allie's x-ray up so we could all see it. "As you can see, the fracture is on the radius bone-"

"The one in line with the thumb." Chad muttered before any of us could ask. How did he know?

"Yes, indeed. So, it's a very minor break- no surgery required, thankfully, and provided you keep the cast on, it should heal in about... four to six weeks!" She finished her assessment. Allie heaved a sigh.

"Fine, I'll get it plastered. Can it be quick, please?" She pleaded.

"Don't worry." The doctor said. "If you prefer, we could have your friends wait outside...?" Allie nodded, and we all filed out. Chad took the longest, but one of them obviously kicked him out, as he came shuffling out a few minutes later, looking indignant.

"What the heck did you do to her, Pooper?" I demanded. He held up his hands.

"_I_ didn't do anything, except notice that her wrist had turned a very nasty colour and shape." Chad said defensively. I raised my eyebrows.

"Somehow, I doubt that." Tawni said, snorting derisively. Chad didn't reply, so we waited in silence until Allie came out, her arm plastered and a prescription clutched in her fingers.

"You alright?" Zora asked quietly. Allie nodded.

It was a quiet walk back to the hotel. I had a feeling we were all going to get into a lot of trouble- and I was right. Almost.

"What are you four doing out of the hotel?" Jenny asked sharply. I raised an eyebrow; there was something seriously wrong with the woman's counting.

"Um, there's six of us, Jenny." She gave me an ice cold glare.

"I gave Chad permission to take Miss Munroe to the hospital, Mr Harris." She said firmly. "The rest of you, however, did not have such an excuse to be out past meeting times." Chad had gotten _permission_? Then why had he been carrying her?

"We were suspicious of Chad, so we went with them to the hospital." I admitted. Jenny rolled her eyes.

"This trip is supposed to be about _building trust_ and _forging bonds_ between the casts! This is exactly the sort of thing which has led to this trip, guys. Some trust between you would do you _no harm_." She glared at us for a minute. "Now, up to your rooms, all of you. Just meet down at the lobby for ten tomorrow morning."

We were happy to leave.

_D/I/K/Y_

CPOV

The rest of the Randoms headed upstairs, leaving just me, Sonny, and Miss Henderson in the lobby.

"So... thanks, I guess, Chad." Sonny muttered reluctantly.

"I had to get you to the hospital somehow, Sonshine." She rolled her eyes and thumped me lightly with her cast. I winced, rubbing my arm and knowing she was going to use the heavy weight of the cast to her advantage.

"Night." She murmured, then leaned up and kissed me on the cheek. I smiled after her as she headed up the stairs.

"Well, you handled that rather differently than I would have suspected, but I guess you did okay." Jenny laughed. "Go on up to your room, Mr Goldfarb." She said, a little more serious. My jaw dropped as I finally made the connection as to who she was.

"Miss _Henderson_? As in... Sonny's grade school teacher?" I asked, rather hoping I was wrong. I wasn't.

"That's right. I must say, I can't imagine how you and Sonny there have managed to pull off playing enemies. Your acting must be pretty good."

Everything made a LOT more sense now...

"Uh... thanks, Miss. Okay, night." I hurried off, not wanting to look back. Well, this was awkward... the woman in charge of the trip was someone who I'd once squirted paint at and handcuffed while I trashed the place. She could cause me and Sonny trouble. Then again, from the way she'd acted so far, she seemed to be on our team. I wondered how the heck she'd ended up _here_ of all places- the coincidence just seemed too bizarre.

I knocked on the door, and avoided Nico's glare as I grabbed my pyjamas. It was pretty late now, and I just wanted to go to bed. For once, I drifted off to sleep quickly...

*Next morning*

I headed down to the lobby quickly, hoping to get there before Sonny and Jenny. Marta was the only one down, because I'd asked her to meet me.

"You called, Chaddy?" She said in a flirty voice, fluttering her eyelashes. Ew. I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. "I assume you mean to apologise for yesterday." Not flipping likely, Balatico.

"Nah, actually, I wanted to know why the _heck_ you broke Sonny's WRIST?" Keeping my voice under control was going to be harder than I'd expected obviously.

"I didn't _break_ it, exactly..."

"Oh, yeah? Then how come her x-ray shows a fracture in her radius bone?" Marta just stared at me blankly.

"Her radio- what?"

"Her wrist!" I snapped impatiently. Marta rolled her head back, laughing lightly. Gosh, why was she _laughing_.

"Oh, that wasn't _my_ fault, Chaddy!" She said, putting her hand on my arm. I threw it off, irritated. She didn't look bothered by the rejection at all. "Allie dear just- _happened_ to fall off the bunk, the poor dear." The sympathy in her voice was very obviously faked. She viewed the Randoms as little more than servants. "In her stupidity, she didn't try and put her hand out and just- _snap_!" She mimed breaking a bone. Seriously... SERIOUSLY? She was trying to say Sonny fell, _by accident_, and her wrist got broken out of STUPIDITY!

"There's one stupid person in that situation, Mata, and it isn't Sonny." I growled. She looked at me, confused. "You'd better leave her alone, Marta, or I swear, I'll..."

"You'll what, exactly?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I don't know yet." I whispered. "But I really doubt you want to find out, Mall Mart."

And with that threat, I stormed off.

**A/N Ohh, protective! Hope you liked :) it wasn't as long as it could've been, but honestly, the first few pages of this chappie were a **_**nightmare**_**. I'm just glad it's finished now.**

**Anyways, some news; tomorrow I'm leaving for my YF weekend. I'll be at it until Sunday afternoon, but on Sunday night, I'm sleeping over at my friends for her birthday, so I probably won't update til about... Tuesday, Wednesday kinda time! :( sorry guys!**

**Oh, and while on the weekend, I'm going surfing and... let's just say I'm not the most co-ordinated person around. Pray I stay safe, please? :)**

**Review... cos reviews are love!**

**Hannah x**


	41. Tourism and a Secret Place

**A/N Hey, hey! Your response to the last chapter was AMAZING :) I got so many sweet reviews, but my favorite had to be from StayStrong112- it's nice to know I have a biggest fan, as well as 'quite some talent'- your review just made my day :D and a special shoutout to MrB.o.B1990 for sending me one of the loveliest PMs I have had the blessing to read EVER. Everyone needs to check out his new story, Sonny Versus the World! It's excellent :D Both of you need to check out my profile ASAP :D**

**Oh, and be warned; I'm writing this chapter after staying away with my youth group for two days, and then I slept over at my friends and was sleeping on a cold floor along with thirteen other people- so I'm pretty sleep deprived. You've been warned!**

Chapter 42

Tourism and a Secret Place

SPOV

I went to bed slowly, gritting my teeth. Now that my wrist was in the cast, it was starting to itch and _really_ hurting. I'd been ignoring it through sheer force of will-power before, but now I could feel it in full force. As we'd already been really late, I'd decided to leave picking up my prescription meds until tomorrow- which seemed like a worse and worse idea as the seconds trickled by.

When I finally got up the (stupid!) stairs, I knocked on the door of my room reluctantly. I knew Marta and Chastity were probably already inside- Chastity, I didn't mind, Marta, I _did_ mind, for obvious cast-bound reasons. To my great relief, Chastity opened the door.

"Oh, hey, Allie! Come on in. Why are you back so late?" She babbled, and I was both surprised and pleased by how nice she was being. I could tell instinctively she wasn't asking out of gossipy reasons. I walked into the room, and I heard a gasp as my arm in the sling came into view.

"Oh, my gosh, what happened to your arm, Allie?" I wondered vaguely when Chastity had picked up my nickname, but answered her anyway.

"I broke it... Chad dragged me to the hospital earlier, and it took forever, because he didn't have a clue where the hospital was, and my cast followed us." I explained, grinning. Now that it had actually passed, the whole situation seemed kind of funny. Chastity burst out laughing.

"Oh, that is _so_ like Chad!" She giggled. I raised my eyebrows. What, he carried girls to the hospital often? Maybe I needed to have a word with him...

"What is?" I asked, although I couldn't help giggling along with her.

"Chad... and picking you up... I knew it!" Oh, man, the girl wasn't even coherent.

"Coherently, please, Chastity." I teased.

"I _knew _he liked you!" She managed to get out between giggles. I face-palmed mentally. From one avenue to another... why couldn't people accept that Chad and I _did not _like each other that way?

"No, no, Chastity, he doesn't!" I sounded more alarmed than I'd meant to... Huh, I'm out of practice on the Channy-denial fault. I snorted to myself. _Channy_.

"Of course he does, Allison." Chastity insisted, her laughs fading out. "He's always so much nicer after talking to you, so hateful when you won't talk to him, and he _carried_ you to the hospital for gosh sakes." To my surprise and resentment, I could sort of see what she could see when she explained it that way... I shook the thought away.

"I don't think so, Chastity. I think he's just nice to me." I shrugged. No way was I going to turn around and say 'I think it's just because he's my best friend,' Nice or not, Chastity was still a Falls kid, a Hollywood girl, which meant it was a bad idea.

"For what reason? Allison, it's obvious he has _some_ sort of feelings for you."

"Um... hatred?" I didn't even sound convincing to myself.

"Definitely not." She said. I glanced up to see her smirking and twirling a strand of her light brown hair around her finger. Realizing winning the argument was a lost cause; I just shook my head and turned away.

I threw myself down on the floor, ignoring Chastity's eyes on me. I wondered why Marta didn't seem to be in the room, even though I was glad for that simple fact. She'd rip my throat out if she thought Chad 'liked' me, that much I was sure of. I glared at my broken wrist, hating Marta for causing it, hating myself for breaking- as much in the emotional sense as in the physical. The memories had rushed uncontrollably to the surface, and I hated that I hadn't been stronger.

"Allie? Are you alright?" Chastity's alarmed voice cut through my sudden wave of hate, and I was brought back to my surroundings with a bump. I became conscious of the fact that I'd curled in on myself, clenching my fists, crushing my prescription and clinging to the ability to pretend that everything was okay.

I straightened up, forcing a smile onto my face, wondering why on earth a Falls kid looked _concerned_ for me. "I'm fine, Chastity. My wrist is just sore." The alarm faded from her eyes, and she just tutted in sympathy. I was about to tell her to stop being so concerned, that it really didn't hurt _that_ much, but the door crashed open before I had a chance to say a word.

"I'm back, Chastity, babes!" Marta yelled. I winced at her shrill voice. The endearment irritated me in an odd way. Honey, sweetie, darling- sure- but _babes_? That was such a couple-y thing...

And no, I wasn't saying that because of my ex-boyfriend.

I moaned softly as she started rattling on to Chastity about something or other. I was getting a headache and my wrist was hurting and I wanted to go to sleep but there was no chance of that with Marta's incessant _idiocy_. Chastity could hardly get a word in edgewise, which was probably why the friendship worked- Marta couldn't shut up long enough for Chastity to tell her to go away.

Apparently, making any kind of noise had been a mistake, because it brought me to Marta's attention. I didn't know if I could take that.

"Well, would you look at that! The stupid Random has made it back to the room. Oh, well done! Did you find a map, babes?" I refused to dignify her with a response. That would let her know that she was able to _get_ to me. I didn't like that.

She let out a delighted giggle, obviously thinking- or knowing- that she _had _gotten to me. I slowly started to clench my fists again. This girl was really testing the limits here... I stood up slowly, and heard a shocked gasp. I looked up to see Marta staring at my cast with wide eyes. She swallowed loudly, then a sneaky smile pushed onto her face. I watched her warily as Chastity glanced back and forth between the two of us.

"Okay... I'll just go get ready then." Great. Just, _great_. Thanks for leaving me to fend for myself Chastity. Marta walked over to me, her high heels clipping softly over the carpet.

"If you say one word about _how_ that wrist broke, Munroe... I will make _sure_ that squeaky clean reputation of yours is destroyed beyond saving." She whispered venomously, drawing a finger across her neck threatening. Being the good little actress that I am, I widened my eyes and pretended someone that I was actually afraid of was standing in front of me. I thought of what I was really afraid of, willing the fear to leak into my voice.

"O- okay..." I stuttered. Tears rushed to my eyes, helping with the act.

"_Good_ girl." She said smugly, then strutted off to pull her clothes out of the suitcase. I fought back a laugh. Did she honestly think I was scared of _her_? Of what she could do to my reputation? Sure, she'd broken my wrist, but it wasn't like that'd actually been her intention. Actually, she was _terrified_ by the thought that someone would find out she'd done such a thing. She held her reputation in a much higher regard than I held my own. I smiled to myself as I realized that, if I wanted to sink down to her level, I could probably damage her reputation far more than she could damage mine. No, the only things that scared me about Marta was the fact that she could find Chad's t-shirt in my suitcase (because I totally didn't see hunting through my things as above her) or the fact that she could inadvertently dredge up memories that I'd really rather not revisit. Plus, I had Chad Dylan Cooper on my side; and Marta totally had a creepy infatuation with Chad. And as my best friend, it was pretty obvious whose side he'd take.

Chastity came out of the bathroom, tying her hair back as she walked. I could see from her sleepy expression that she hadn't heard Marta threatening me. I grabbed my pj's and rushed into the bathroom. If Marta got in there before me, she'd take forever. And not out of spite, either.

I pulled my sweats on, then realized I faced quite a dilemma. How the heck was I supposed to change my t-shirt with a cast and a sling? I debated for a second, then pulled my phone out and called Chad. This was bound to be an awkward conversation, even if he _was_ my best friend.

"_Hello? What's wrong?"_ His tone of concern was both endearing and irritating. Seriously, the boy had enough on his plate without worrying about me.

"Why must you always assume there's something wrong?" I asked, feigning hurt.

"_Would you call me at this time, in this company, if there wasn't something wrong?"_ He had me there.

"Maybe. I could have got lonely, you never know." I could almost hear him rolling his eyes at me.

"_Uh huh, sure. Now, what can I do for you?"_

"Erm... this'll sound kind of stupid... But how am I supposed to change my shirt with a cast and a sling on?"

There was an awkward pause.

"_Well, technically, it's not a stupid question... and my mom is a nurse... but really, you'll probably need someone to help you." _Oh, joy of joys.

"Chad. Which of my roommates is going to help me get changed? Honestly?"

"_Well, Chas might..."_ He didn't even sound like he believed himself.

"Doubtful. Seriously, what am I going to do?" Another awkward pause. I could tell what line of thought he was fighting to avoid.

"Don't even go there, Goldie." I muttered as a warning.

"_I wasn't... I wouldn't... Um... Ask Tawni or something!"_ He blurted. I shook my head affectionately. He was so awkward sometimes. I doubted that was a side he let show often nowadays.

"Alrighty, calm down!" I laughed. "Just chill. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"_Okay. Night, darlin',"_ I hung up, then bit my lip. I didn't know what room Tawni in, and she still wasn't talking to me anyways. There wasn't really anyone else I could go to; no way was I letting any guy help me get changed. I sighed and sent Chad a quick text.

_**From: You**_

_**To: Chad Dylan Pooper! :P**_

_Oh-kay. Anyway I could just take the stupid sling off and change myself? Me and T still aren't talking and it's not like I could ask you to help. No offence. _

I waited for a few minutes, tapping my phone against my leg impatiently.

_**From: Chad Dylan Pooper :P**_

_**To: You**_

_Um... yeah, that could work. Dev and N are getting suspicious, so don't get offended if you notice you're now Layla or Demetria on my phone, okay? _

_**From: You**_

_**To: Chad Dylan Pooper :P**_

_Oh, middle name me then, whatevs... Ugh... Marta was suspicious this morning. She tried to steal my phone but was blocked my password on my messages xD so i might middle name you too! Ha!_

_**From: Taylor ;)**_

_**To: You**_

_Oh man... this oughta be fun. Haha. What did I get?_

_**To: Taylor ;)**_

_**From: You**_

_You got Taylor, for now... Because I don't think just sticking Dylan in is enough._

_**From: Taylor ;)**_

_**To: You**_

_Pffft, whatever LD :P_

_**To: Taylor ;)**_

_**From: You**_

_What have I told you about calling me that?_

_**From: Taylor ;)**_

_**To: You**_

_Not to call you it or you'll cause me bodily harm and/or public humiliation...?_

_**To: Taylor ;)**_

_**From: You**_

_Exactly ;) now, I'm going to get a shower and try and sleep in the terror that is a bottom bunk. Goodnight! x_

I shoved my phone in my pocket quickly, not wanting to be tempted to text Chad again. I pulled the knot out of my sling with difficulty, and as it fell to the floor, I made a note in the back of my mind that it'd probably be Chad who'd have to toe it again. I slid my cast through the sleeve of my pyjama top awkwardly, hating it already. I brushed my hair carefully, not wanting to knock my cast against the sink. I felt comforted with the baggy t-shirt on though. I looked myself over in the mirror, assessing. I didn't look _that_ bad, considering. But I definitely wasn't Hollywood girl in appearance... or at heart, either, really.

I unlocked the bathroom door, and stepped out just in time not to get knocked over by the Marta-whirlwind. Apparently, a free bathroom is the only thing she'll move quickly for. I snorted. Chastity raised her eyebrows at me.

"Aren't you supposed to keep the sling _on_?" She asked sceptically. I smirked and shrugged.

"I needed to get changed, and I didn't exactly think you two could help, no offence to you Chastity. Even if _you_ would help me, Marta would probably rip your throat out for such 'betrayal,'. And anyone Ch- my friend who knows their medical stuff said it should be okay." Oh, man. I nearly blew my cover- with a Falls kid! I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Chastity's expression was an odd mixture of guilt and sympathy.

"I'm so sorry, Allie. I'd help you if I could, but as you said, Marta..." She gestured helplessly. I nodded, understanding. I knew it could be hard to break free of the control of others...

"Its okay, Chastity." I muttered. _You have Chad, you have Chad, you have Chad! _A small voice in the back of my head chanted. _Isn't that enough of an ally? Because, honestly, Chad's more use as an ally as ten Falls girls._ I bit my lip, knowing how dangerous it was to rely on him so much. He'd left me once, he could do it again...

_No_, I told myself firmly. _He promised he wouldn't do that again. He promised! _It was sad, really, how much I needed my best friend. I was well aware of that- but I was also well aware of what I would be like of he left again. I shook the dark thoughts to the back of my mind. It wasn't going to happen again.

I pulled my iPod out of my bag, then slid into bed, trying not to wince. The bed above me seemed like it was only two inches away from my face. I tried to ignore the panic tightening my chest. I shoved my headphones in, and said a quick prayer. Sadly, praying couldn't quite magically cure me of my claustrophobia- but it could help me ignore it. I closed my eyes and tried to push out the thought of the bed above me. Despite that, however, I felt the panic taking hold, and concentrated on taking deep, even breaths. Marta came out of the bathroom.

"What are you doing, trying to make yourself lose weight with breathing exercises? Doubt it will work for someone like _you_." I was too busy trying not to hyperventilate to be offended by her remark, though. I lay for what felt like ages, trying desperately to breathe normally. My efforts didn't appear to be having an affect, however- my breathing had started to speed up. I rolled over onto my face, trying to muffle the sound as I started to hyperventilate. I pulled my iPod in front of my face numbly. Just over ten minutes had passed. How was I supposed to make it through tonight, never mind the week? Just then, the light clicked off, and Marta crawled into the top bunk. Even though I had my headphones in, I could still hear the creak of the bed springs above me, hear her shifting about to get comfortable. My panic levels spiked. I dug my fingers into the pillow, trying to hold on to my common sense. Claustrophobia could be a really irrational feeling. Knowing I really, _really_ shouldn't, I ignored the voice of anti-claustrophobic reason, and rolling over again, stretched my arms up above me. My breath caught in a terrified squeak as I registered not being able to stretch my arms out the whole way. The bend of my elbow felt terrible. I tried to be rational, closing my eyes as I rolled back onto my stomach. I put my hands on the head-board and slid my body back, praying I would be able to stretch my legs.

The flood of relief I felt when my feet nearly slid off the end of the bed was ridiculous- but it felt so very, _very_ good.

I pulled my pillow down nearer my head, and shifted into a more comfortable position, lying on my side and leaving my feet just about dangling off the edge of the matress. My back faced the wall, leaving me with the room-side of the bed to stretch my arms out in. As long as I never put my arms _up_, I would be fine. I was quite proud of myself as my breathing evened out and my muscles relaxed. Cuddling down, I smiled, praying a quick prayer of thanks. I still would massively prefer a different bed, I'd probably still freak out of I sat up, but for now, I was actually pacified. It was one less thing to stress over for now. I prayed quickly, then turned the music on my iPod up as loud as I could- Marta yelling 'WHAT'S THAT NOISE?' was my point for stopping- as tempted as I was to annoy her, I wanted to _sleep_, not listen to her whine.

I groaned as Marta rolled over in bed, and started to come down the ladder. If she didn't sit still, I was going to scream. What was she getting up for, a midnight manicure? I snorted at the thought.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when a hand tapped my shoulders. I jerked my headphones out.

"What?" I hissed grumpily. That was the closest I'd gotten to sleeping quickly in a while. A phone screen lit in front of my face, blinding me momentarily. I blinked, my vision clearing. In the dim light coming from the other phone, I could just make out Marta's face, and Chastity's sleeping form behind her. Oh, man, this couldn't be good.

"Just remember..." She spat. "One word about that wrist; and you're reputation is _dead_. Your little cast won't love you so much then." I could see her grinning spitefully in the darkness. I hadn't realized she'd actually meant that threat seriously; as a scare to make me 'behave' (aka lie) yeah, but I doubted she would actually _do_ it.

Oh, too bad for Marta that her threat wasn't enough to stop me... and even worse that I'd already told _Chad_ what she'd done. I was nearly 100% certain that was what she was most afraid of- Chad thinking she was less than perfect. I snorted.

"Got it, Random?" Marta snarled- but quietly. Oh, typical. She didn't want Chastity to know she was threatening me either. I nodded, thinking sarcastic thoughts, grateful there wasn't enough light to show my eyes rolling. I nodded.

"Good." She climbed back into her own bed. I waited until I could hear her breathing deepen with sleep (she snored. Typical), then pulled my phone out.

_**To: Taylor ;)**_

_**From: You**_

_Marta just threatened me..._

_**From: Taylor ;)**_

_**To: You**_

_OMW? What did she say? :o_

_**To: Taylor ;)**_

_**From: You**_

_Told me if I told anyone about what really broke my wrist she'd ruin my rep... Whoops, a bit late now, huh?_

_**From: Taylor ;)**_

_**To: You**_

_I'll handle it, Sonshine_

I knew he'd react this way! As sweet as it was...

_**To: Taylor ;)**_

_**From: You**_

_Look, I told you; this is MY battle. I don't need you to fight for me- I'm a big girl now :/_

_**From: Taylor ;)**_

_**To: You**_

_She's my cast member. She'll listen to me..._

_**To: Taylor ;)**_

_**From: You**_

_I have a FIST. She'll listen to it._

_**From: Taylor ;)**_

_**To: You**_

_As much as I adore that idea, if you get in trouble you're screwed._

_**To: Taylor ;)**_

_**From: You**_

_From the press? See if I care. Maybe they'll see that I can fend for myself._

I didn't mean it, not really. I didn't want to go from 'Sweet Girl,' to 'Needs Anger Management Girl,'- but I _did_ want to be able to take care of myself, at least a little bit. I had that spark of rebellion in me. And maybe, that involved threatening or hitting. But the next text made me think again.

_**From: Taylor ;)**_

_**To: You**_

_No. From the studios. _

_Girls in fights- leads to bad press- leads to less viewers- leads to no job. No joke. There was once another girl in Mack Falls, y'know._

Whoa. Losing my job- that meant going home. And that- that meant losing Chad. And I couldn't take that again.

_**To: Taylor ;)**_

_**From: You**_

_Oh... wow... 'kay, no fighting then. I can't lose my job... that equates to losing you..._

That was something I loved about our friendship. I could tell Chad pretty much anything about my feelings, and vice versa. We both knew that, as childish as it was, we couldn't take losing each other again.

_**From: Taylor ;)**_

_**To: You**_

_Yeah... :'( I can't lose you again. I need you too much._

I smiled softly, but even as I started to type a reply, I felt myself slipping into sleep...

_D/I/K/Y_

The morning came all too quickly for my liking. I sat up, bumping my head and panicking slightly before I realized I was in the hotel.

The sharp pains in my arm reminded me of my broken wrist, and more pressingly, the fact I hadn't got my painkillers yet. I groaned into my pillow before checking the time. _8.21am_. I almost smiled. Almost. Forty minutes was plenty of time for _me_ to get ready, but I could hear Marta snoring and knew there was going to be a major freak out sometime this morning.

I rolled out of bed, grabbed fresh clothes and some toiletries, and walked into the bathroom. As I walked, I noticed Chastity's empty bed and smirked, realizing Marta was the only one who wasn't going to be ready. I washed and dressed quickly, then spent a few minutes brushing and- gasp- actually _straightening _my hair, taking advantage of the hotel-provided equipment. I liked my hair straight, I just didn't do it very often.

Walking out of the bathroom, I picked my prescription off of the table, sliding it into my pocket. Turning towards the bunk-bed, I was attacked by the strong temptation to take a picture of Marta snoring and drooling, but managed to overcome it. Instead, I just shook her shoulder.

"Marta!" I sang sweetly. "Time to get up!" She groaned and swatted me. I sniggered. "Now, Marta, do you really think lying in bed is the best policy? Seeing as you only have, oh-" I checked my phone. "-nineteen minutes to get up, washed, dressed, do your hair and get down to the lobby?" I stepped away from the bed as I spoke, and my little (actually truthful) speech was rewarded with a loud shriek and Marta scrambling to get out of bed. As the bathroom door slammed shut behind her, I lost control and fell about laughing, clutching my stomach.

At about two minutes to nine, Marta came rushing out of the bathroom.

"I'm READY!" She announced. I sniggered.

"Oh, that's good, we've only got two minutes-" I froze, staring at the time. _8.58am_. What had Jenny said? To... Um... Meet at ten am... I forced my frozen face to smile. "- and an hour left to get down to the lobby!" I finished brightly. My mistake was worth it- the look on Marta's face was priceless. She stood, frozen utterly still, for a few minutes. Just as she was starting to defrost (to yell at me, no doubt) her phone started to ring. I was assuming it was her phone. Who else would have O.M.G by Jenna Rose as their ringtone? (**I hate that song. It's like being force-fed the poison of the stuck-up)** Sure enough, she pulled it out, checked the caller ID, screamed, and answered.

"Hello?" I couldn't hear who was on the other end, but I could hear it was a guy. I mentally face-palmed.

"Oh, yeah, I'm actually ready... meet you in the lobby in a few minutes, baby!" She squealed, then flipped her phone shut. I clamped my hand without a cast over my ear, but sadly my cast kept me from protecting my hearing entirely. As she sprinted back to the bathroom, I put my iPod headphones in; making sure my hearing in that ear hadn't been damaged permanently. It hadn't, shockingly enough. Marta streaked through the door, and I was presented with a nice, empty room. It was peaceful. Well, peaceful enough.

About a half hour later, Marta stormed up the stairs, looking furious. Even through my music, I could hear her snapping. I picked up occasional phrases such as; "meant to be together!" and "wasn't meant to find out..." Apparently, her little 'date' hadn't gone the way she'd expected. I mentally applauded whoever had ticked her off so badly.

At ten to ten, I headed out the door, putting my iPod in my pocket as I walked. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I saw Chastity, Tawni, Nico, Chad, Portlyn and Skylar were already downstairs. I approached my friends, a little wary after the night before. So imagine my surprise...

... when Tawni through her arms around me and yelled 'I'm sorry!' in my ear. Freezing for a second, her meaning registered and I wrapped my good arm awkwardly around her, returning the hug.

"I know you meant the best." She whispered. I figured she was referring to the time she'd seen Chad at my house. "And, okay, he kinda is sweet to you. Just... don't get too friendly, okay? He might break you." She pulled away from the hug, smiling.

"So, am I forgiven?" Her tone was teasing, but she actually looked a little nervous. I paused, playing with her.

"Of course!" I said. She cheered and hugged me again. I laughed. "Oh, Tawn, could you do me a favour? I had to take my sling off to get changed last night. Could you tie it back on?" I held the sling out to her. She started to wrap it around me, but then she stopped.

"Allie... I don't have a clue how to tie a sling." She admitted, laughing. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, just let me do it..." A male voice muttered. I looked over Tawni's shoulder as she turned, and saw Chad standing, arms folded and a good natured smirk on his face. I glanced at Tawni, who shrugged.

"'Kay." I handed him the sling, and he grabbed my arm gently, swiftly tying the sling in place.

"There." He sounded pleased with himself.

"Thanks." I muttered. Before he could respond, Jenny called us to attention.

"Okay, guys, today we're gonna do a little tourism! We'll be out and visiting the sights until after dinner, most likely, so make sure to get a good breakfast. Go the café for breakfast; there should be a breakfast bar in there. Meet back here in fifteen minutes, and _go with your partner_!" We started to disperse, but then Jenny called me and Chad back.

"I don't want you two getting in any more trouble today, got it? If I let you off again, it'll look like you're getting special treatment, and we can't have that, can we?" I laughed. "Now, go!" Chad mock-saluted her before gently grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards the café.

"What do you want to eat?" He asked a few minutes later.

"Chad, I can get my own food."

"Yeah, sure, you can hold a tray and put food on it with one hand. Now, what food do you want?" One look at his stubborn face, and I gave up the fight.

"Just get me some toast and cereal." I muttered. Chad flashed a brilliant grin, before grabbing a tray. I followed after him, watching as he filled the tray- it only took me a minute or two to realize that he was putting food for _both_ of us on one tray.

"Chad!" I hissed.

"What?" He asked, turning to me with an innocent expression. I didn't want to pick a fight (with him anyway) so I just shook my head. The various members of our casts were giving us the _look_, but I just shrugged helplessly as my cast, pointing at Chad. I'm not even sure Chad noticed the looks coming his way; if he did, he did a good job of hiding it. Chad sat down at a table. I slid in opposite him. I reached for a bowl of cereal self-consciously, wary of the eyes I could still feel on me. I chewed slowly, reaching for a drink occasionally. Chad didn't seem to notice the awkwardness, but had enough sense not to say anything.

We were the first to finish. Chad dumped our tray and I followed him back out into the lobby. I sat on one of the couches. (**I love those kinda lobbies...) **Chad plonked himself down beside me.

"That was awkward." I commented.

"Ya think? It's irritating trying to look after you and pretend I hate you at the same time." I snorted.

"No offence, Tay, you're not doing such a good job of the 'hate,' thing." I giggled, using one of his old nicknames. Chad narrowed his eyes at me.

"Oh, really, LD?" I glared at him.

"Don't. Call. Me. LD." I growled. Chad smiled angelically. I poked him in the stomach. He pouted. I glanced around to see some of the other pairs coming out.

"Let's reinforce our act." I muttered. Chad nodded seriously.

"Gosh, I can't believe I had to get paired with _you_ of all people!" He snapped, disgusting. I glared at him.

"Trust me, Cooper, the feeling is _mutual_." I growled. We spent the next few minutes arguing, the insults getting harsher and louder as we went on.

"HEY! You two! Stop screaming at each other and _join the group_!" Jenny yelled through a mega-phone. I flushed and stood up quickly. The effort caused me to lose my balance, and Chad caught my good arm just before I fell on my face. I gave him a small smile while jerking my arm free as roughly as I could. We walked over to the group. I smiled apologetically at Jenny.

"Okay, now that we're all here." She glanced at us pointedly. "We're travelling in the bus to Denver Zoo, then the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We'll be coming back to the hotel for dinner, and then taking a tour around Colorado State Capitol Building afterwards. Follow me."

We followed Jenny out into the parking lot. Chad and I trailed in the back of the group. Everyone was too interested in getting seats on the bus- distracted. Chad grabbed my hand, pulling me along. We ended up at the very front of the bus- the only people who could really see us were Jenny and the bus driver.

That was okay with us.

"Hi." I said to him when the bus started to move. He glanced around, then turned back to me, pressing a finger to his lips. I nodded in understanding. I pulled my rucksack up against my shins, unzipping it and digging through it until I found what I'd wanted; a notebook. I found a pen and flipped through the book until I found a blank page. I grinned at scribbled a note to Chad.

_Hangman! _

He rolled his eyes, but took the notebook off me and drew a hangman game anyway. I smirked.

**A/N I'm SORRY this took so long! But, it might actually be worth it- wanna know why? This was originally part of a huge monster chapter I've spent the past week writing. By 'monster chapter' (I do mean that quite literally) I mean a chapter which was- in total- NINETEEN pages long. No, I'm not joking. As my update was so late, I split it into two parts. This part is eleven pages, the next is nine- I didn't have any convenient page eight-and-a-half paragraph breaks.**

**I would really, really appreciate if you could review both chappies, because I love getting reviews and I'm posting them close together so some people may not review this chap :( So... review! Because reviews are love! And now I'll end this ridiculously long author's note!**

**Hannah x**


	42. Tourism and a Secret Place Part II

**A/N Part two. Enjoy!**

Chapter 43

Tourism and a Secret Place Part II

After about forty minutes, we arrived at Denver Zoo. I pressed my face to the window, awed; I could easily see that it was huge. Jenny used a studio card to pay us in. I grabbed a map, flipping it open. Chad grabbed my arm and guided me as I walked.

The zoo trip passed quickly. It was huge, and had a lot of cool animals, but it still passed quickly. It felt like half an hour later as I stood in the little gift shop, but it had actually been four.

"What 'cha buying Munroe?" Chad asked. I swatted him away as he looked over my shoulder.

"I'm looking at presents for my little cousins." I told him. We were standing in the soft toy section.

"Sure..."

"Who do you think I'd be buying for? Myself?" I snorted with laughter at the look on his face.

"Well, I'd buy something for Esme, except I know she'll now accept nothing less than a Build-a-Bear, which is going to be terrible, because, quite frankly, that shop scares me." He shuddered theatrically. I sniggered again, pressing my hand to my mouth.

"Watch out Chad, the Build-a-Bears are coming to get you!" I giggled, picking a teddy bear off the shelf and waving it in his face. Chad spluttered indignantly.

"Stop laughing!" He protested. I just laughed harder until he grabbed the bear off me and threw it back on the shelf. I pouted.

"Cute." Chad muttered. "Real cute, Munroe." I giggled again.

"I know I am." I sang, skipping away.

_D/I/K/Y_

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science was interesting. The likes of Tawni and Marta moaned and complained- they'd rather shop of course- but I found it fun.

The dinosaur exhibit sort of creeped me out- and the subtle assumptions of evolution bugged me. I tried to ignore that though, and enjoy the exhibits. The Gems and Minerals part was gorgeous; it was set out like a mine, which of course, got complained about, but there was a cavern with white- gy- gypsum crystals. They were milky white and so pretty! There was a wall, literally six-foot tall, of what was called rhodochrosite- a blood red stone. I stared, awed.

There was more; Brazilian topaz, California watermelon tourmaline, Australian opals, intense blue azurite, and so many more- they were all gorgeous. I wished I could take pictures.

About half way through the tour though- once we were out of the Gems and Minerals exhibit- Chad nudged me and start muttering about all the times we'd got thrown out of museums when we were younger. I tried not to laugh, irritated inwardly at the distraction. I'd been enjoying the tour, but now all I could think of was how I could mess with the tour guide...

"And remember the time you knocked the mop bucket over onto a painting?" Chad whispered excitedly. I lost the ability to hold the laughter in and let loose a loud fit of giggles. The people in front and behind us turned to stare. I clutched my stomach, trying to choke back the laughter. Really, this was ridiculous. I felt Chad grab my arm.

"Don't mind my friend; she had too much caffeine with her cereal." Chad said to the still-staring audience, leading me away. I looked around myself once the laughter had died down- the rest of the group was gone. No Jenny, no Randoms, no Falls kids were anywhere in sight.

"Uh-oh." Chad said, obviously echoing my thoughts. I grabbed his hand, a reflex.

"Figures. We just _had_ to get lost, didn't we?" I groaned.

"Ah, ba, ba! No panicking. It's not good for your blood pressure." Chad deadpanned. I sniggered despite myself.

"This is going to be embarrassing. Who will we call?" I sighed. Chad held up his hands.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... No need to call anyone! We'll find them eventually. Let's just... walk..." He started dragging me along before he'd finished his sentence. I rolled my eyes, but allowed him to pull me along.

"Chad, I don't think we're going the right way..." I said about fifteen minutes later.

"What ever makes you say that?"

"We're face to face with a janitor's closet."

"Our casts could be in there, you never know... Ouch! What'd you hit me for?"

"For being a... a... a Chad-iot!" **(TheDarkLordNwitchpire, don't hate me for borrowing your word!) **

"A _what_?" My best friend exclaimed, amused rather than insulted. I huffed, folding my arms.

"You heard me..." I muttered.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't. Now, if _I'm _wrong, where do _you_ suggest we go, Miss Munroe?" I grinned.

"_This_ way." I sang, walking back in the opposite direction we'd been going. Within ten minutes, I spotted the blonde hair and designer label mix that was Tawni Hart.

"Tawni!" I yelled. She turned, and I waved frantically. Tawni turned and said something, and Jenny appeared at the front of the group.

"_There_ you two are! How'd you manage to get away from the group?" Jenny exclaimed. Chad nudged me.

"I have no idea."

"Seems to be something we're pretty good at." I added, nudging Chad back. The air in between us was thick with private jokes. I fought to keep a straight face. Jenny gave us a mock-stern look.

"Okay, just _stick with the group_!" I grinned. Tawni tugged me towards her. Apparently Jenny hadn't noticed us split into our casts.

"Was Pooper mean to you?" Tawni asked. I smiled, rolling my eyes. Chad has really built a bad name for himself; and all my cast wants is to look out for me. Mostly.

"No, he was fine." I whispered, trying to look like I was paying attention to the tour guide.

"Really?" Nico looked suspicious, and was, as always, backing up Tawni. I grinned at him.

"Really!" I assured them, laughing at their serious expressions. Being with Chad always seemed to clear my head and make everything light and funny. Distracted me from the scary stuff...

We went to the Planetarium last. It was slightly dark, and had a huge, cinema sized screen in it. The whole set up felt sort of like the movies, actually. I ended up sitting in between Tawni- who wanted to make up to me after her 'bratty behaviour,' (quote)- and _Grady_. Oh, joy of joys. I leaned closer to Tawni, further from Grady.

We watched two shows- Journey to the Stars- which was amazing; I loved the stars- and Cosmic Journey: A Solar System Adventure- which was again, amazing, but not as awe-inspiring as Journey to the Stars.

During the show, Grady's hand somehow made it onto my arm rest, his hand in an unnatural position- ready to grab _my_ hand, I was sure. I didn't like that, not one bit- who was he to basically set a _trap_ just to hold my hand? If he wanted to hold my hand so badly, why didn't he just hold it? Flip me! I folded my arms, glaring at the screen before me.

My phone buzzed with a message from Chad.

_**From: Taylor ;)**_

_**To: You**_

_Ohh, you look like you're having _fun!

_**To: Taylor ;)**_

_**From: You**_

_Shut it._

Once the shows were over, the lights came on, and Grady snapped his hand back to his side, looking awkward. A small, vicious part of me took grim satisfaction from that fact.

I got to my feet quickly, eager to be out of the Museum. Jenny had told us it was the last stop on the tour. By this point of the day, my wrist felt like it was full of sharp splinters. Why, oh why hadn't I got my pain meds earlier? We sat in the same seats we'd sat in on the way. I chewed my lip, trying to ignore the pain in my arm which was becoming more and more apparent now that I wasn't at the zoo/in a fancy museum. I gritted my teeth.

"What's wrong with you?" Chad asked, being rude to keep up our charade.

"Wrist." I muttered. His features slid into an expression of concern.

"What can I do?" Now, I'm not an _overly_ selfish person, not really. But my wrist hurt more than I could make a polite metaphor for, and my best friend was, after all, offering his assistance. So, excuse me if I took advantage of that fact.

"I need my pain meds."

"Where are they?" I gave him an 'are-you-stupid?' look.

"Haven't got them yet. Prescriptions in my pocket."

"Sonny!"

"What? When, exactly, have I had a chance to get my painkillers?" I glared at him, even though he had offered me help. He just shook his head, and held out his hand/

"Give."

Understanding what he meant, I shifted in my seat, digging my hand into my pocket. It took a minute or so, but I found it eventually. I put it in his hand and folded his fingers over it. He unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up. If I hadn't seen him do that a ton of times (don't ask. Just. Don't.) I would have yelled at him. As it was...

"Miss Henderson?" Chad asked, clinging to the tops of seats and stumbling over to her as he walked.

"Yes, Chad? Wait, what are you doing out of your seat? Sit down!" Of course, being Chad, he ignored her.

"Well, So- Allie needs her painkillers for her wrist, but we haven't got 'em yet. Is there any chance we could stop at a pharmacy on the way to the hotel?" I couldn't see his face, but I imagined he was giving her his 'persuasive' look. It's worked before. Trust me.

"Oh... I'm not... Oh, fine!" She spluttered.

"Thank you, Miss." Chad said, before turning and walking back to his seat. He could have pulled off looking casual, except for the big, smug grin on his face.

"Oh, wipe the grin off, Cooper. So you charmed her, it's not like you haven't done it before!" I snapped irritably. He continued to grin at me though.

"Stop it!" No luck. After a few minutes of having a smug grin pointed in my direction, I gave in.

"Oh, fine. Thank you, Chad. Dunno what I'd do without you." Maybe the last part came out a little sarcastically, but it still made his grin stretch to epic proportions. I rolled my eyes affectionately.

_D/I/K/Y_

Thirty minutes later, the bus pulled to an abrupt stop.

"What's going on? Have we broken down?" Nico yelled from the back of the bus. There were several panicked shrieks from the appearance-obsessed. Jenny rolled her eyes.

"No, no. We're just making a quick pit stop." Chad stood, dragging me along with him as he walked off the bus. I could hear some indignant yells, which I had to ignore as I got pulled away.

The pharmacy was small, with a bored-looking woman staring into space at the counter. I guessed it was a slow day.

"Hey, I have a presc-" Chad broke off as I pulled the prescription from his hand.

"Hi, there! Um, I broke my wrist, and I have a prescription for some painkillers?" The lady sighed and held her hand up without looking up. Whoa, someone was cranky... Then again, so was I. She gave the paper a cursory glance, and turned to the shelves, looking through the seemingly endless varieties of small bottles. She glanced at the prescription again, and froze, staring at it. After picking up a tiny bottle, she whirled around to look, and I groaned internally.

"You're Sonny Munroe!" She said, surprised rather than jazzed, which was unusual for fans, in my meagre experience anyhow.

"Uh, I actually usually go by Allie..." It wasn't a _total_ lie. Only Mom, my brothers, Chad and his family called me Sonny now. The lady shook her head.

"Oh, no, no. Sonny, dear, come _on_. Not even the press is calling you that- they've picked up 'Sonny' from your bud Chad, here." She nodded towards Chad. We froze. How did she...?

"C'mon, guys, don't you recognise me?" She sounded delighted, rather than annoyed though. She put her chin up, her chin length hair swinging. I looked her over, confused. Her hair was black, with a blue streak in the fringe. She had a nose ring, and brown eyes. As soon as I met her eyes, I gasped. Chad seemed to have made much the same conclusion.

"_Jessica_?" We exclaimed in unison. She grinned, flicking her fringe out of her face. She rolled my painkillers across the counter. "Oh, please, hun, it's _Jess_." Chad grabbed the meds, gaping at her silently.

"Close your mouth, Goldfarb, you'll catch flies." If I hadn't been numb with shock, I would have laughed at my _cousin_'s antics. Yeah, that's my cousin. I finally got my mouth to work again.

"Oh, my _gosh_, Jessica, it's been so long!" I yelled, grinning. She smirked at me through her electric blue fringe. The last time I'd seen her... had been about two months after... Chad had left. I stared at her, pleading her not to say anything.

"Chad Goldfarb, how the heck did you make it up to her?" Jess snapped at him. Chad stood up straight. He glanced at me, abashed.

"I don't know, Jess. I didn't deserve to get her friendship back." He muttered. Jess giggled loudly. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Maybe we haven't talked about this enough, Pooper." I teased. "But remember what I said about not blaming you?"

"Oh, really?" Jess butted in conversationally. She popped a piece of chewing gum in her mouth, sliding up to sit on the counter. "What's the story then?"  
"I'd rather not explain. Besides-" A loud horn honked, cutting him off. "We have to go!" He finished brightly. Jess shook her head.

"Nuh uh, not so fast. If I'm not getting a story, I'm getting a number." I rolled my eyes. Jess had never been the most subtle girl in the universe. Apparently, that hadn't changed when she'd got into her twenties. I scribbled my number and email address on a piece of paper and slid it to her. Chad threw a twenty dollar bill on the counter, paying for my meds.

"See ya!" I called as we ran out. The bus doors opened for us.

"What took you so long?" Tawni yelled, squirming, apparently desperate to get back to the hotel. Chad snorted.

"Sonny here decided that the girl at the counter was her long lost best friend and had to catch up." He sniggered. I whacked him on the head. He stopped laughing.

"She was my _cousin_, you idiot." Everyone burst out laughing as we made our way to our seats. I turned to him.

"That's revenge for calling me LD!" I whispered. He grimaced. I grabbed my meds from his hand, squinting to read the label.

"Take one to two tablets every four hours as necessary." I muttered. Chad heard and gave me mock-applause.

"Well done, you can read!" He joked.

"I know, amazing, aren't I?" I posed playfully, shaking two tablets into my hand. I raised my voice. "Does anyone have any water?" Unfortunately, no one did. I shrugged and popped the tablets dry. Tawni stared at me.

"How'd you manage that?"

"Practice makes perfect!" I said, without thinking. Tawni grinned, not thinking about what I'd said too much. Chad, however, narrowed his eyes at me. I pulled my iPod out and stuffed my headphones in, wishing to avoid questions.

_D/I/K/Y_

Five hours later, we were leaving Denver State Capitol Building. Chad and I had managed not to get thrown out- just about. (**sorry, but I can't physically spend anymore time being a tourist via Google today. If anyone really wants to know how the tour went down, PM me and I might write it as a one-shot.)** Thankfully, our casts were putting it down to idiocy caused by us fighting, and weren't asking too many questions.

On the way back on the bus, I straightened my shirt. As we were going to visit the State Capitol Building, we'd had to dress up fancy- but not too fancy. Tawni had come to my room and tried her hardest to get me to wear a dress, or at least a skirt, but I blatantly refused. Besides, the only dress I owned was at home, and was a black dress used for funerals and my dad's memorial services. So, once Tawni had given up, I'd reluctantly slid on a soft vest top and a colourful shirt, paired with skinny jeans and my newest (aka, least battered) Converse. I wanted to talk to Chad, but I knew I couldn't. Tawni and her partner were sitting behind us, and Grady and Marta were sitting in front. Aggravated, I scribbled a note down on a scrap of paper.

_I wanna talk... how'd we end up stuck with Part One of the NP in front? _He read it, nodded, and wrote something back.

_We needa find a secret place. Y'know, like the secret room back at the studios._ I grimaced in agreement.

_We'll find one every place we visit. Deeeeaaaal?_ He nodded, then stuffed the paper in his pocket quickly. We'd be screwed if it was found.

_D/I/K/Y_

A few days passed, surprisingly without Marta attacking me at every turn. She seemed to have backed off, for now at least. In fact, she hadn't really done anything to me since... since her disaster 'date' the first morning in Denver. Hmm...

Anyways, after breakfast, Jenny told us we were spending the day with our partners. I mean, _all_ day. We had to get our own lunch and dinner- we weren't allowed to come back to the hotel until 8pm unless there was a (real) emergency. We did our best to show Jenny how badly this would work (cough, food fight, cough, cough) but she was adamant.

"See you later guys!" She called cheerfully as she pretty much kicked us all out of the hotel. I grimaced a goodbye at my cast members. I followed Chad down the street, sniggering at his 'disgusted' face. As soon as we were about a block away, in the opposite direction as everyone else, he turned to me.

"I've found us a secret place." He whispered conspiratorially. I grinned hugely.

"Oh, really?"

"_Really_. Follow meh." I giggled, and trailed after him as he walked. He looked like a fugitive- kept looking over his shoulder and all. I sniggered.

"Chad, no one's going to attack you, except me, possibly. _Chill_." He didn't relax though, not completely.

"I'm looking out for paps." He hissed under his breath. My eyebrows furrowed.

"It can't be _that_ bad, can it?"

"It can. Trust me." I raised my eyebrows, but decided not to ask. He had, after all, neglected to question me on why I was good at taking medicine dry.

About ten minutes later, we stopped.

"Chad? This looks like an abandoned house." I stared at him suspiciously.

"Well, Sonshine, that would be- er- because it's an abandoned house."

It took a couple of seconds for that to sink in.

"It's WHAT!" I shrieked. Chad shushed me urgently.

"Shhh, calm down! I checked it out, it's really nice inside and no-one's been near it for ages. We won't get caught." I glared at him.

"An abandoned house? Really?" I whisper-shouted. He smiled despite himself, nodding.

"No one can catch us then, and I checked it out, Son, it's totally safe. And clean." I pursed my lips, thinking about it. "Ohhh, c'mon, Son, we used to do this kinda thing all the time! What's the big deal?" I had to admit, he had a point. We were older now, but it wasn't really breaking in... Plus, Chad had said it was safe.

I just had one more concern.

"When did you find this place?" As I'd suspected, Chad ducked his head and stared at his feet. I stared at him. "Chad?"

"I... um..."

Impatient, I poked his arm. "Look at me!" I demanded. He met my eyes reluctantly. "Tell me, Chad." He didn't say anything, so, sighing internally, I pulled my best weapon. "_Please_, Chad? Won't you tell me?" I pouted, widening my eyes. That did it.

"Fine. I snuck out. Happy?" His voice would have been grumpy, but he didn't seem to be quite able to sound it at the moment. I smiled sweetly at him.

"Let's go, then." I sighed, reaching for his hand. He pulled his hand away, shaking his head silently. I raised an eyebrow at him; we were about to go into an_ abandoned house_. How was he confidant enough for that? Chad started walked, and I followed him, staring at him as he walked _around_ the house.

"Where are we going?"

"Taking a shortcut around this house, Allie!" I caught on. He must have seen something- paparazzi. So now we were being _subtle_. I really, really hoped there hadn't been any paps around though. My head hurt at the thought.

Once we were around the back of the house, Chad grabbed my hand and pulled me along. He walked over to a huge tree.

My eyes went wide. "No _way_!" I exclaimed. Chad sighed.

"Come on, you'll be fine."

"There's no way I'll be able to climb the stupid tree!"

"Sonny, since when does tree-climbing faze you?"

"Chad, dear. Have you noticed that this tree is a good _fifteen feet_ tall?" I glared at him. He just rolled his eyes.

"Your point is?"  
"My arm is in a sling!"  
"And, what else?"

"That first branch is above my waist! I'm _shorter_ than you, Chad!" He made a weird snorting noise.

"What?" I snapped.

"It's so weird that you're so much shorter than me now." He sniggered. I hit him lightly on the shoulder.

"Shut up. I'm not climbing the tree." Chad sighed, digging his hands in his pockets. He turned to look at the tree for a second. He turned back suddenly.

"I'll give you a leg up."

"No!"  
"...Please?"

I stared at him. He looked totally confidant in his idiot plan- and he'd had a point. We had used to do this kind of tree climbing all the time. I needed some adventure- I wanted to act like a little kid again. I sighed.

"Fine." He looked up, his whole face lighting up.

"Good!" He crowed, delighted. I rolled my eyes.

"Just give me a leg up, Chad."  
"Yes, ma'am!" He teased. I reached up and grabbed the thick branch. He put his hands out, one on top of the other, palm side up. I put my foot in his hand and he boosted me up. I pulled myself into a standing position on the branch. He swung himself up beside me.

"Alright?" He asked me, grinning. I stuck my tongue out at him. He smirked and held his hands out to boost me onto the next branch. We went on like that until we were both on the top branch. Chad stood and braced his hands against the window sill. I had to admit he'd judged this well- obviously, he'd thought of the possibility that we'd have to be sneaky. Chad slid the window open. Of course. I watched, becoming less annoyed and more amused by the second.

Don't look at me like that. I know what you're thinking- is she insane? She's helping break into a house! She's sitting on a branch a good fifteen, twenty feet in the air! She might die or get arrested! Well, I'm not insane. A little crazy, possibly, but not insane. I'd climbed trees plenty of times before, and I'd snuck _out_ a fair few times as well. All in all- this was a piece of cake.

Chad slid in through the window. I watched, sniggering as I realized if he wasn't so skinny he probably wouldn't have made it through. Then again, he's not _that_ skinny...

Okay, that line of thought is just weird. Let's move on.

Chad leaned his arms out the window. I stood up on the branch shakily and grabbed his hands. He helped me climb in through the window, then caught me as I nearly fell face-first to the floor. There was a moment in between him catching me, and me stepping, uncharacteristically awkward, away from him.

The carpet was thick with dust, muffling our footsteps. I kicked the ground, causing a dust cloud to rise up. We started coughing.

"Seriously, Sonny?" Chad managed to choke out. I ignored him. Underneath the dust, the carpet was fancy. I drew ahead of Chad, reaching the stairs first. The banister, like the floor, was thickly coated with dust. Maybe that would make it more fun...

Before I was even fully conscious of doing it, I slung my leg over the banister, and grabbed it with my good hand.

"Sonny!" Chad yelled, noticing what I was doing. I smiled sweetly at him before relaxing my grip with my hand and sliding down.

Even though I wasn't a little kid any more, sometimes, I couldn't help but act like one. "Weeeeeee!" I yelled. As it was, it happened to be quite a long staircase; certainly longer than the ones in my house as a kid. Chad practically sprinted after me. I landed clumsily on my feet, watching with some amusement as he skidded at the bottom of the stairs.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He asked incredulously. I giggled at him, and reached up to pat his cheek.

"Chad, I slid down the banister, I didn't fall down the stairs." I said soothingly. He tried to glare at me, but I knew he knew he was being ridiculous. I wandered into the living room, looking around myself with awe. There was a chandelier, threaded with spider webs and dust. There was a comfy- if slightly ripped- sofa, an old TV, and a chipped coffee table. Everything (and I do mean everything) was coated with a thick layer of dust. I ran and jumped on the sofa, giggling and spluttering as dust clouds rose from under my feet.

"Are you having fun, Munroe?" Chad laughed. I smirked at him.

"I'd have more fun if you joined me." I hinted. He raised his eyebrows at me. I smiled as sweetly as I could while bouncing on a dusty sofa. A couple of seconds later, he started to walk over.

"I'm going to pull you down." He threatened. I stuck my tongue out at him. "I mean it. I'm really going to do it." He continued, while clambering up to stand beside me. "If you don't get down, I'm going to _drag _you down!" He added, starting to jump. "I mean, come on, how immature could you be?"

Threats notwithstanding, we continued to bounce in sync until my legs collapsed from under me.

**A/N Part two of the monster chapter! Yes, seriously. I hope you enjoyed this- I do not have a flipping clue where the last, I don't know, five pages came from. Review! Cos, as y'know...**

***say it with me!***

**Reviews are love! Haha, haha!**

**Hannah x**


	43. The Great Escape Phone Calls & Screaming

**A/N Oh my gosh. I love you guys :D**

**I am SO, SO sorry for the delay! School has started back, and all my youth clubs, sports and all are starting up again. Plus, I'm doing Duke of Ed this year, so my time is going to be quite seriously limited, so just bear with me, **_**please**_**? Meh. I got myself out of stupid school hockey though, so I'm hoping this year will be good :D So, without further ado...**

Chapter 44

The Great Escape, Phone Calls and Screaming

CPOV

When Sonny's legs collapsed, I stopped bouncing. I looked down at her, concerned but amused. She half-lay on the sofa, her head dangling off the edge and her legs against the back of it.

"Are you okay?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking. She looked back at me, smiling dazedly.

"Brilliant." She replied. I rolled my eyes and sank into a sitting position beside her, crossing my legs.

"Yeah, you look it." I said sarcastically. She gave me a confused look, and I slid off the sofa, scooping her up in my arms.

"Oi!" She snapped, hitting at me. I flipped her over and set her back on the sofa, right way up. Her expression cleared. "Oh, thanks." I laughed lightly.

"Anytime." I grinned. She leaned into me, her head drooping on my shoulder. I brushed her hair out of her face, frowning.

"Are you tired?" I asked, concerned again.

"No. Just worn out from bouncing." She explained vaguely. So, she was tired then. I rolled my eyes. "Wonder if the TV works?" She wondered aloud, staring at the ancient TV. Somehow, I doubted it. I pushed myself to my feet absently, walking over to the television. I pressed the button. The screen remained blank. I twisted the dial on the corner, but nothing happened. Growing frustrated for some unexplainable reason, I whacked the top of the TV. It didn't do anything. I gave up, settling for glaring at it.

"Sorry, Sonshine, doesn't appear to be working." I said apologetically, sitting down again. She immediately slumped back onto my shoulder. I didn't have the heart to push her off.

There was a clunk, which made the both of us jump. The TV screen flickered, and flooded to life. We stared at it silently.

"Well. That was... unexpected." I said. Sonny giggled.

"You have a magic touch, Chad!" She laughed, snorting into my shoulder. I poked the side of her head.

"Very funny." I muttered, but I couldn't help smiling. Darn it.

"I know I am. That's why I'm on a comedy show." I couldn't think of a reply to that. "Chad-iot." She added as an afterthought. I played with her hair.

"Don't call me that." I mock-whined. She poked my side sleepily.

"Will if I want to." She mumbled, staring at the bizzare old show playing on the TV. I wasn't sure if the volume was broken or it was a silent film... It could have been either. The fact that it had connected at all nonplussed me.

Sonny yawned into my shoulder, causing me to actually pay attention. "Don't fall asleep on me, girl." I told her.

"Meh. Why?" She whined. I rolled my eyes.

"One, if you sleep now, you won't sleep at night. Two, I'm pretty sure you want lunch. And three, I'm absolutely certain if you fall asleep, I will too, and I really, really don't want Jenny to send out a search party- how awkward would that be?" I countered. Sonny giggled, but sat up. I reached over and messed with her hair. She shrieked and swatted at my hand feebly.

"I didn't get punched. Whoo hoo, one point to Chad!" I grinned. This time, I got a sharp jab in my gut with her elbow. I winced.

"There's the Munroe charm..." I mumbled sarcastically. She turned to smile sweetly at me. I smiled sarcastically back.

After another hour or so of just sitting on the couch, occasionally throwing bemused looks at the television, I decided it was time to grab lunch. I was (fairly) sure that we'd be able to open the back door from inside, so we went that way. We had just reached the stairs when the quiet was broken. The front door crashed open.

"Man, this place is a dump. Why is department interested? It's beyond fixing... Even Esme Cullen couldn't take this on..." We froze on instinct. "Ba, buh, ba, come on, just check through the place... Just write a report for the paper, it'll be _fine_... I just hope there's no spiders." Random journalist lady blabbered, obviously talking to herself. I grabbed Sonny's hand and started up the stairs, as quickly as we dared while trying to be soundless. Even with the thick dust, our footsteps suddenly seemed far too loud. We reached the landing without incident, but just as I was starting to breathe more normally, Sonny had an unbalanced moment, and staggered, crashing into the wall. We froze again, listening. It was utterly silent for a few eternal seconds.

"Oh, my gosh, the place is haunted!" She fretted. I rolled my eyes. We started to creep quietly again, but then something happened that I really should have expected.

A floorboard creaked under my foot.

And journalist lady came charging towards the stairs.

"C'mon, Cammie, you're not afraid of ghosts!" She, Cammie, urged herself. Joy. We just had to have the panicked journalist who wanted to conquer her fears. Her feet hit the stairs heavily, and I grabbed Sonny by the elbow and dragged her into the nearest room. The door closed just as 'Cammie' arrived at the top of the stairs. I breathed heavily, trying to think a way out of our situation.

"I can hear you!" Cammie yelled suddenly. I prayed her hearing wasn't as good as she thought, but her slow footsteps were unmistakably coming towards the room me and Sonny were in. I looked around the room. It was small, well furnished, with a slanted ceiling with a desk below it. I stared for a split-second, a stupid plan forming and causing a grin to spread over my face.

"This way!" I breathed. I pointed my shocked best friend to the desk. She climbed onto it gracefully, wincing. There wasn't enough room for her to straighten up. I felt a stab of annoyance at myself for making her hurt, but there was no other option. I followed her onto the desk, and pushed the window.

It stayed shut. I swore inside my head, and hit it again. No movement. Cammie's footsteps were right outside the door, and I, losing my head, starting hammering the window. To my shock, it popped open. Instinctively, I held my hands out to Sonny to give her a boost. She put her foot on my hands and I pushed her up through the window. As soon as she was out of the way, I reached for the edge of the window, stretching up on my toes slightly. I scrabbled my feet against the wall, panicking. I managed to pull myself up, though. I scrambled around to face the window again, and slammed it shut just as I saw 'Cammie' coming through the door. I crawled a foot away, very aware of the fact that I was sitting on a _roof_. And that my best friend, who was considerably clumsy and had her wrist in a brace was also sitting on a _roof_.

Sometimes I wondered how I got myself into these situations...

Carefully, praying hard that I wouldn't go sliding down, I turned to Sonny. She was glaring at me.

"If I wasn't so flipping terrified of you falling and dying right now, I would totally slap you." She growled. I chuckled weakly.

"Don't blame you, darlin'" I muttered, thinking hard and looking around, trying to think us _off _this roof, without killing ourselves in the process. I crawled over to the window again, slow and careful. I peaked carefully. Cammie was standing in the middle of the room, her hands on her hips and a freaked expression on her face. I felt bad- we'd obviously terrified her, but there was no way to help that short of going back in, and that really wasn't an option. I bit my lip, and crawled away slowly. This wasn't good, this _really_ wasn't good...

I was surprised when Sonny crawled over to sit beside me.

"I'm still in a bad mood with you." She muttered. "But really, look at the sky! It's so pretty." I smiled, glancing upwards. The sky was a clear blue, with a few puffy clouds. Sonny had always loved the sky. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, hooking her bad arm through mine to secure herself.

"Smile, just for a second." She whispered to me. I did as she asked, putting an arm around her as she snapped the photo of us. She showed me the screen of her phone. I grinned. She'd managed to get both a part of the roof and a strip of sky in as well as our faces.

We stayed up there for what felt like hours, just talking. I loved moments like these.

The sound of a car startled me. I looked over the edge of the roof, making sure Sonny stayed where she was. A car, which I guessed was Cammie's, was driving away. I squinted at the car. It was, indeed, Cammie.

"Kay, Sonshine, we're in the clear!" I yelled. She smirked, folding her arms.

"Oh, are we? And how exactly are you expecting to get us down, Goldie?" She asked sarcastically, using a falsely cheery tone. I rolled my eyes.

"Sonbeam, honey, don't I usually figure something out?" Sometimes I gave her random nicknames, playing with her name.

"You'd better figure it out fast." She mumbled. I crawled over to the window, and pushed against it.

Nothing happened.

"Uh oh." I muttered. "The, um... the window's stuck." I admitted sheepishly. Sonny mumbled something that sounded like 'typical'.

"We need to break the glass." She said matter-of-factly. I shook my head.

"No way. Glass makes a mess, plus it'll cut way too easily- you've already got a broken wrist." I said firmly.

"Do you see another way for us to get down?" Sonny asked pointedly. I didn't say anything, frowning. "My point exactly."

"Well, we need something hard to break the glass. We'll have a hard time explaining the mess if we use our hands." I compromised.

"Maybe we should use your head." Sonny smirked. I winced. I'd earned that one.

"Maybe not." I replied, making my tone as mild as was possible. Now was _really_ not the right moment for fighting. Resigned, I looked for something to break the window with. A rock, a brick, _something_. There was nothing.

I glanced over to see Sonny eying the hard cast on her arm speculatively.

"No. No way!" I said sharply. She looked up at me guiltily, surprised at being caught. "Don't even think that, Sonny. Do you want that to heal, or would you like to have it broken for the rest of your life?" I snapped. Her eyes dropped, and I felt bad for lashing out, but I couldn't help myself. And there was no way I was letting her beat the window in with her [wrist] cast. "There's _got_ to be a better plan that that." I muttered, reassuring myself as well as her. I looked, desperate now, trying to find a solution. Sonny sighed loudly, then started climbing down towards the edge. I froze, watching her carefully. She kept going and I reached towards her.

"What are you doing?" I asked, panicked. She could _not_ fall off the roof. No way, no way, no way...

"Gimme a sec. I'll be fine, no worries." She assured me. That didn't stop me chewing on my lip as I waited for her to come back up. I knew making her come back up wouldn't be a good idea. She had a temper to be reckoned with...

I didn't start to relax until she was sitting beside me again. She held her hand out for me to inspect, and all I could see was a cut bleeding on the back of her hand.

"Sonny...!" I exclaimed. She rolled her eyes.

"Look what I'm holding, Chad!" And as I looked closer, I saw that she was holding a roof tile. I grinned sheepishly at her.

"Sorry. I'm physically incapable of not worrying about you." That got a smile. I held my hand out for the tile.

"Nuh uh. I'm doing it." I recognised her 'stubborn face' with a sigh. I watched as she turned, reaching my hands out slightly to catch her if she fell as soon as she turned away.

She made it to the window. Gripping the tile in her good hand, I crawled up behind her and held her at the waist. I wasn't taking any chances. I heard her sigh, and then she swung the tile down.

_Smash._

Glass flew everywhere, and I pulled her back against me instinctively, hoping she wouldn't get hit by the shards. Glass cuts _hurt_.

I opened my eyes slowly.

"You all right?" I asked her. She stayed silent for a second.

"Of course." She said brightly, but there was a strange note in her voice. I decided not to comment, but I was getting suspicious.

I leaned around her to see the mess. There was still a few sharp pieces of glass clinging to the frame, so I pulled the tile from her hand, not letting go of her waist, and knocked them out myself.

"We'll need to be careful..." I said. "The glass is everywhere, and it cuts really easily."

I pretended not to notice when her shoulders stiffened.

"Let me go down first." I murmured in her ear, and she nodded. I slid around her carefully, not releasing her until the very last second. My feet hit the old desk with a thud that I felt in my entire body. I flinched slightly, before turning and holding my arms up for my best friend. She slid her legs through the frame, then grabbed my hands. I helped her jump down, then we jumped off the table holding hands, laughing hysterically.

I walked ahead of Sonny down the stairs. She dragged her feet as she walked, and I could feel she didn't particularly want to talk to me, which made me grimace. Reaching the back door, which had been our original destination when Cammie decided to burst in, I found it was locked. I sighed. I _really_ didn't have time for this... So I kicked it as hard as I could, and to my satisfaction, the door burst open, just as Sonny stopped by my shoulder.

"Did you _kick_ that open?" She asked suspiciously. I blinked innocently.

"No, what made you think that?"

She rolled her eyes and pushed past me through the door. I bit my lip. She was annoyed at me, I could tell. I walked after her as she as good as stormed out of the back garden of the abandoned house.

Uh-oh.

I caught up to her, but didn't say anything. She stared past me. I took her hand gently, and was somewhat relieved when she didn't yank it out of my grip. That's when I knew I was in a little bit over my head.

She continued to glare at the ground, but her hand tightened around mine reflexively. I glanced at her, but her expression hadn't changed. For once, I didn't have any idea what was going on inside her head- except that I wasn't entirely sure it wasn't all about me anymore.

Eventually, I found that we were in a small side-street, alley thing. Before I could ask, she started whacking my shoulder, right where I'd been bruised particularly hard. I caught her wrist, staring at her, eyebrows raised.

"You're just... such... an IDIOT!" She half-shrieked, twisting her wrist out of my grip. I would have held on, but I didn't want her to have _two _broken wrists. I just stared at her quietly, and all of a sudden I found her arms flung around my waist and her face pressed against my shoulder, and was startled- and horrified- to feel the hot damp of tears spreading through my shirt. I wrapped one arm around her waist and stroked her hair with the other.

After a few minutes, I dared to break the silence.

"Honey, what's wrong?" I asked hesitantly. Sonny pressed her face closer to my shoulder.

"Nothin,'" She mumbled. I raised my eyebrows, but she couldn't see. "I'm just a little" –cough- "Emotional, that's all." I rested my chin on top of her head, staying quiet, but my thoughts were spinning.

She was crying. Sonny wasn't an over-emotional girl, nor was she attention-seeking. She never cried for no reason. Even _before_- when she'd cried a lot more than she did now- there was always a reason.

Then, the other day, she'd said 'practice makes perfect,'- about _pills_. Tablets... drugs. I hadn't known anything about her being on medication, and it scared me. What was so bad that she wouldn't tell me? And she wouldn't tell me- the look on her face right after she'd said that had assured me of that.

She was hiding something, that much was definite. I didn't know what- I only suspected that one of the secrets was a missing piece in her story about her idiot ex-boyfriend. I fought not to clench my fists at the fleeting thought of him. He'd... _cheated_ on her, I knew that much. Just that small piece of information was enough to make me uncontrollably angry. But I knew there was more to it. I didn't know how, but I knew. I knew.

And that wasn't all. She wouldn't wear dresses anymore (apart from that one time) and the _before_ Sonny was barely seen in anything else. She was playing guitar and crying and writing songs and keeping secrets. Something had happened while I wasn't- there, and it was killing me that she didn't seem able to tell me.

I knew I couldn't call her out on it though, as much as I wanted to. Not only would it make her throw up the walls that had been constructed since I'd left, but it would be hypocrisy- I hadn't exactly told her everything either.

I hadn't told her that Charles was beating me. I hadn't told her about how he'd threatened her, I hadn't told her how my own father had screamed and cursed and told me he'd kill her. That's why I'd broken the contact with her... not only to make it a clean break, but to protect her from my monsters. She knew that, but she didn't know that the man she'd once considered an uncle had actually told me he'd take her life...

It broke my heart to be lied to, and it broke my heart even more to lie to her.

So I hugged her quietly while she cried, biting my tongue to keep the truth and the accusations at bay.

And as I held her, a line of a song floated through my head.

"_And now that it's over, I just wanna hold her, I've gotta live with the choices I've made, and I can't live with myself today..._" **[*]**

_D/I/K/Y_

SPOV

After a lunch, which blurred in front of me as I wasn't paying attention, we headed slowly back to the hotel. All the playful excitement had drained away in the face of my crying and having to break back in and out of the abandoned house.

As we'd walked, my thoughts had strayed. The sight of a small cut had scared me- not so much because of the cut itself, but because of the blood. My thoughts went into a tailspin, memories assaulting me again. Smashing the window had helped a little, but it hadn't taken long for me thoughts to spin again. I'd sobbed into Chad's shoulder, well aware I was probably scaring the crap out of him as I did so.

I couldn't tell him about what had happened while he was gone. He'd be horrified. He'd be angry. And he'd blame himself. I couldn't take that, he wasn't to blame! It was my own damn stupid fault. I remembered something small. I remembered a few days after getting his letter, **[**] **flipping it over to see a small note scribbled on the back.

_I can't take it if you're hurt. Protect yourself, my dear. If you see hurt coming..._

_Run as fast as you can. _

_C x_

I remembered giving a twisted smile every time I thought about that line. I hadn't exactly done a good job...

I did want to let him know. I wanted to tell him, to let myself break down in his arms and let him comfort me.

But I couldn't do that.

I couldn't tell him that I'd failed, that we'd failed. He'd hate him_self_ for something he never could have controlled, and we would never be the same. I hated lying to him, I hated lying to everyone... But I couldn't tell the truth, not now.

I was in too deep.

_D/I/K/Y_

Later on, back at the hotel, we had to come down to restaurant again. I tugged at my shirt and tucked my painkillers into my bag. At the bottom of the stairs, Jenny was waiting.

"You've received a few calls, Miss Munroe." She informed me, a strange smile on her face. I pulled a face.

"Really?" My phone had been lying at the top of my suitcase for the past few hours, dead. I couldn't find the charger.

"Yes. I think someone's a little concerned." There was a sharp pain surging through my arm, which caused me to sort of ignore what Jenny was saying.

Chad came up behind me. It was only us and Jenny, so I hugged him briefly.

"Hi." He said as we stopped hugging. "Feeling better?"

"A bit." I said truthfully. Really, I'd just put some things out of my mind and put a plaster on my hand. And that was good enough for right now.

"How's your wrist?" He asked as some other cast members trickled down the stairs.

"Okay." At his disbelieving look, I changed my mind. "Fine. It_ hurts_. Happy now?"

"No. Take your meds."

"No!"

"Why? That's what they're there for!"

"I won't do it while you're ordering me around! I'm capable of thinking for myself!"

During our little argument, our casts and any other poor random bystanders were sucked into listening as our voices rose.

"Oh, yeah, that's why you waited like three days before even getting the meds!"

"It was two! And SHUT UP!" I yelled in his face.

"Why? Because I'm calling you out on the fact that you're _incapable_ of taking care of yourself?" That stung. This argument was gonna be great for our image, but not so good for our friendship.

There was a gasp at Chad's last comment. I pulled myself up as tall as possible and stalked closer to him.

"Excuse me?" I asked dangerously. He leaned down at me.

"You heard me. You're so skinny you're look underweight, you're short, you have a plaster on your hand and your wrist is in a brace! You look like you haven't slept in a month! You _cried_ earlier! So, obviously, there's something wrong." He crossed his arms, pleased with his logic.

I was speechless.

He _knew_ how I fractured my wrist! He _knew_ I had insomnia! And he _should_ have known better than to say that I'd cried. Angry tears sprang to my eyes.

"You... you... UGH! What is _wrong_ with you? I'm alright, I'm _fine_! I don't need you or _anyone_ to take care of me! I have my mother for that, thanks!" I screamed.

Jenny seemed to unfreeze.

"Right, come on kids, break it-" But before she could finish, I'd taken a few more steps towards Chad.

_Slap_.

There was a resounding _crack_ as I hit him. He stumbled slightly, and his hand flew to his face. There was a low 'Ohhh!" from the watching audience.

"Well." Jenny muttered, flustered. "Erm, shall we... um... go on into the restaurant? Perhaps we should sit with our own casts today." She added weakly. I followed Tawni into the restaurant, still fuming. I could hear Chad's cast behind us...

"Dude, she _slapped_ you!" – Skylar.

"I noticed." – Chad.

"That stupid little-" – do I even have to say it?

"We should get you some ice, that looks bad..." – Chastity, ever the nice girl.

"Allie, I didn't know you had that in you!" Tawni gushed as we sat down. I stared at my lap, guilt already flooding through me.

"My hand hurts." I mumbled. My cast chuckled. I felt real, genuine sad tears prick my eyes. I knew Chad was just trying to take care of me, and I'd _slapped_ him! Oh no, oh no, oh no...

I fretted and picked through my dinner, wondering how to make it up. I'd slapped him!

Dinner passed quickly though. My feet carried me away from the table as we left the restaurant. Tawni called after me, but I was beyond listening.

"I am so sorry! I really, really shouldn't have done that!" I exclaimed, staring at the ground as I grabbed Chad's hand. He laughed slightly, tossing the ice-pack into the bin. Our casts were staring at us (and our now joined hands) incredulously.

"I guess I sort of deserved it... I'm sorry, too." He admitted sheepishly.

"So... that's... um, that, then." I muttered, my cheeks turning red. I dropped his hand as if it had burned me and backed away quickly.

"Uh... yeah..." He mumbled, his cheeks turning red as he blushed.

"Bye!" I said, and before I could stop myself, I leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

And then I ran.

_D/I/K/Y_

My cast were going to kill me. I knew that. I did.

That's why I was currently locked into the bathroom of my hotel room. Marta would probably kill me, too. And I _really_ wasn't in the mood.

I plugged my phone into the socket (even though I had a suspicion it was supposed to be used for hairdryers). I'd found it on the floor as I'd tripped over it as I sprinted into the room, my cast mates hot on my tail.

My phone beeped to life, and immediately started playing. I jumped, recognising 'Friday Night,' by McFly. Mom.

I could also hear the hotel door bursting open.

"Hello?" I said breathlessly, still a little winded from sprinting up the stairs.

"SONNY LAYLA DEMETRIA MURNOE! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" She shrieked down the phone. I held the phone away from my ear.

"Mom! Calm! My phone died!"

"YOU HAVEN'T PHONED ME SINCE YOU LEFT, NEARLY A WEEK AGO! Explain yourself, young lady!" Unbelievably, I started laughing. "This isn't funny!" My mom fumed.

"Oh, sorry, I know, I know..." There was a silence. "Well, you wanna know what's been going on? Prepare yourself, mother. It's been quite a ride...

**A/N Crappy ending, I know! But I liked where it ended, so...**

**Anyways, sorry again for the long wait! I hope this fairly long chappie makes up for it! Seriously, I enjoyed writing this. For future reference; there will be a minor mention of 'Cammie' later, in a teeny twist I thought of in a rare moment of humorous genius.**

**ANYWAYS, enough of my idiotic babbling (and maybe bragging ;D)**

**I love you all- and especially MusicChannySkyscraper, ., MrB.o.B1990, iSarahh, MiiMyselfandTime, ChAnNyObSeSsEd and so many more. You are all absolutely incredible, and this wouldn't be possible without each and every one of you! *heart***

**Love, **

**Hannah :D**


	44. Letters and Nicknames

**A/N Hello, lovely amazing readers! I love you people... especially those of you who... VOTED FOR ME IN ****MonStErScLosEt's Channy awards! I recently discovered this story won 'Cutest Channy Story'! THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED! **

**I still can't even get over the fact that I was nominated, let alone won! I love you people! So this is a fluff chap for celebration before we head down the angst city I have planned out. **

**WARNING: This attempt at a wholly humorous chapter might possibly come off as crackish, but I hope you enjoy it.**

**SIDE-NOTE: I hope I don't offend anyone here. I'm just messing about! :)**

Chapter 45

Letters and Nicknames

(alt. Straight as a Roundabout)

SPOV

Just as I finished my sentence, there was a loud _crash_, which I suspected to be Marta, Tawni and Portlyn breaking down the hotel door. I giggled.

"Sonny Munroe, what on earth have you been doing?" My mom asked, sounding distressed. I coughed to hide my further laughter.

"Sure you wanna know Mom?" I giggled. I could practically feel her glaring through the phone. "Chill, I'll tell you. Just don't yell at me."

"Hm... That's a maybe on that one, baby girl. 'Fess up." Mom said, semi-sternly.

"We-e-ll..." I started but then a small noise interrupted me.

"ALLISON MUNROE GET YOUR TINY BUTT OUT HERE!" a female voice yelled shrilly. I erupted into a giggle-fit.

"Hi Tawni!" I yelled through the door. There was a loud banging noise against the door, which I was leaning against. I sniggered some more.

"Sonny, what's going on there?" My mother asked anxiously. I smiled.

"Relax, Mom, some of the casts are just after my blood. It's nothing, really." I grinned.

"Got that right!" I heard Tawni yell faintly. My mom gasped, which seemed hilarious to me. Seriously, why was everyone being so dramatic today? First Chad and the blow-out, then me yelling back at Chad for the blow-out, then their reactions now, then my mom's reactions to their reactions! Really, what was the big problem?

"They're WHAT?" My mom yelled. I giggled.

"Relax. I'm locked into the bathroom, and if they manage to break the door down, I have an escape plan. Or, y'know, I could just throw the sink at them... That could work..." I mused. I though I heard a faint 'Heaven help us...' from my phone, but I couldn't be sure. Ah, well, 'twas all the same to me.

"ALLISON!" That sounded suspiciously like Marta...

"GO AWAY NASTY ORANGE-FACED TWIT!" I screamed back. I heard some laughter, and some nasty orange-faced words. Ew, what was with the cussing?

"Don't be fooled by our laughter! WE'RE STILL MAD AT YOU!" I heard Nico yell. Huh, didn't know he was there.

"Are the boys out there? Awww, guys, that's breaking the rules! NO BOYS IN GIRL'S ROOMS! THAT'S A RULE!" I yelled. My head felt too light.

"IT'S ALSO A RULE THAT RANDOMS DON'T ASSOCIATE WITH FALLS' KIDS! AND YOU KISSED THE LEADER!" That sounded suspiciously like... Devon? Whut the?

Oh well, s'pose Marta dragged him up. I frowned. Two such creepy, creepy people...

"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME COME OUT! YOU AREN'T SPARKLY VAMPIRES!" (**Oops, he did it again! by JasperSAYSrelax128 reference!) **

"Is she referencing Twilight? SOMEONE TELL ME SHE'S NOT REFERENCING TWILIGHT!"

"GO AWAY MANDY! NO ONE ASKED YOU!" Tawni screamed. My mind went even more blank. Mandy? What was Mandy doing here?

"WHAT'S MANDY DOING HERE? IS SHE OUT TO STEAL MY CHADDY? _YOU CAN'T HAVE CHADDY, MANDY!"_ Marta screamed psychotically. By this point, everyone was yelling at everyone. I threw my phone at the door.

"EVERYONE SHHHHHH!" I shrieked. There was a silence. "Awwww, thank you!" I gushed gratefully. "Now, what do you all need?"

"Uhh... what'd we need guys?" Tawni asked after a few seconds. There were mumbles of confusion. "Must be nothing then. Later, Allie!" I heard them all leave.

I stared at the still-closed door for about two seconds, and then I burst out laughing.

_D/I/K/Y_

CPOV

My face went, if possible, an even darker shade of red as she pecked me on the cheek. I froze up as she muttered a quick goodbye and ran off, her long hair swinging behind her. I couldn't quite take my eyes off her retreating figure. I heard a loud growl and at least three people took off after her; Tawni, Marta and... Devon? What?

After a moment of hesitation, Zora, Nico and the others followed them. I bit my lip, hoping they wouldn't yell too much- because after her being upset today, I doubted either of us could take that.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, and turned to see Chastity. I smiled very slightly, realizing at least _one_ of our cast members wouldn't kill us if we got-

Hold on, did I just think that?

No. No way. I um, meant if we admitted to being best friends. _Not_ if 'we got together,'- there's no way I thought that. Nuh uh.

"She'll be fine." Chastity smiled, and I gave her a look of shock.

"What...?" I managed to get out.

"I know you worry about her, Chad. Her. Sonny." She murmured. I stared at her, eyes wide. Oh, flip me... If _Chas_ has figured it out, has anyone else?

Then again... the only thing she's figured out is that _I _care.

Sonny is safe.

"I don't... know what you're talking about." I countered feebly. Her smile grew to a grin.

"You care for her. A lot. I can see that, Chad. And I can see you're not all bitterness and arrogance. There's more than a little heart still in there... You're just careful who you let see it. I understand that."

And then, she patted my arm gently, and walked away.

I sat on the bench outside the restaurant, my head in my hands. All I wanted was to go to bed, but I knew if I started to go upstairs I might interrupt a fight, and I probably wouldn't be able to stop myself defending Sonny right now.

_D/I/K/Y_

***next morning***

"Hey, kids- the hotel got a ton of post addressed to you lot today!" Jenny called. I looked up in interest- the way she said it, it didn't sound like she was talking about fan-mail.

"'Kay, not _all_ of you have got mail, and _no_, Miss Balatico, it's not fan-mail. You get fan-mail at the studios- are we in the studio? No. Therefore, no fan-mail." She stated, talking right over Marta's whine. "Tawni, Zora, Chastity, Skylar..." She walked as she talked, handing out letters. "Allison, Grady, Chad..." I felt a light thump as a pile of letter landed in my lap before I could hold my hands out for them. I was surprised at the amount. I flicked through the unopened envelopes, and quickly worked out that my mom had decided to tell my _all_ my relatives that they could write me. I felt a stab of fear. I hadn't seen half of my aunts and uncles in a long time, so their letters were usually full of 'I'm-so-sorry' and bad advice and asking what the news was. On the other hand, I loved my family, and I knew they meant the best. I was probably mostly scared of the cramp I'd have in my hand after writing them back.

I sighed and opened the first letter, and was greeted by some loopy, huge, bright pink handwriting. I started to read, unaware that I'd caught the attention of Devon and Nico.

_Dear Chad_

_Hey! How are you, hun? It's been way too long since we talked properly! How's Sam? ;) Yeah, Julia told us. She TOLD US! Haha. Next time you visit, there will be _no escaping_ the interrogation! We know all your tricks now, babe :D_

_Anyhoo, I saw your stupid show on the other day. I'll admit it, the story-line's actually getting better! I still hate it though, that thing took you away from your family. _

_They were playing our song the other day! You know the one, I know you do :) and I also can tell you're grinning like an idiot right now. There's no way I'm wrong. Nuh-uh._

_Anyhoo... Come visit us soon! I miss you- and I probably miss Sam even more! It's fun watching you run around like a lost puppy after your 'friend'. Lol, you're so whipped! Yeah, I remember that time with the sprinkler ;)_

_So, down to business... I'm good, Alice is good, Aunt Maia is good, Uncle Awesome Arthur is good... Oh, and did I mention I missed you?_

_Yes, as you can see, my attention span has WELL improved. _

_Well, I'm not gonna write much more... My hand hurts! _

_Basically, we miss you, I hope you visit soon, and Mom send her love :)_

_Give Sam my love! And I refuse to accept that you two are 'just friends'_

_Love you, idiot._

_Jeff ;) xo_

_PS HI CARLY!_

Just as I finished reading, the letter 'mysteriously' disappeared. I looked from my now-empty hand to Devon, who was reading it over. I dived for it, but he moved away and continued to read. I stared with horror at his steadily growing smirk.

"Hey everyone, I've found something _ve-ry _interesting out..." He yelled. Naturally, he just _had_ to catch the attention of _all_ cast-members, So Random! and Mackenzie Falls alike. I mentally face-palmed. "Chad Dylan Cooper... He just might be... AS STRAIGHT AS A ROUNDABOUT!"

Oh, no. Of course he would come to that conclusion...

Everyone stared at me open-mouthed, with the exception of Sonny. She was smirking at the letter. I was pretty sure she'd worked it out who it was from.

Marta ran over to me.

"You're _gay_? So THAT'S why you won't go out with me! Oh, well, now you can tell us all about everything and advise us on clothes and stuff!" She gushed. I put my face in my hands.

"Marta. I'm not gay." I said through my teeth. She ignored me.

"It all makes sense now! I _knew _I was irresistible! _Ohhh_, now we can all go shopping! Yay! I always wanted a gay BFF!" I resisted the urge to bang my head off the wall as everyone (but Sonny) started muttering and whispering and pointing. I stood in humiliation for what felt like hours.

Sonny caught my eye and gestured towards the bench. I sent her a small grin, and walked towards it. I stood on the seat so everyone could see me, and put my fingers to my lips and whistled.

Silence fell.

"_Thank_ you." I said in relief. "Now, let me explain. Devon just stole a letter my 'funny'" I drew air-quotes in the air. "sent to me. I am _not_ gay, just victimized by an older cousin with a bad sense of humor." I muttered the last part. "Anyway, in translation- my cousin Holly, a long time ago, because my best friend was a girl, decided to call my best friend 'Sam' and me 'Carly', a) because she was obsessed with the show iCarly at the time, and b) because she thought we were more than friends, which was a lie. In retaliation, I started calling her 'Jeff,', which she unfortunately found funny, and instead of stopping, she continued to use all three nicknames.

"So, in short- I'm not gay- I have a girl best friend and a lot of family jokes because of it. Happy now?"

Everyone looked stunned. Even Sonny.

I stepped off the bench, feeling uncomfortable in the silence.

"Yeah, whatever Carly." Devon smirked. I rolled my eyes.

"Devon, are you related to me?" I asked innocently. He gave me a weird look.

"Uh, no...?"

"Then, sorry, you can't get away with calling me that. I'd never live it down." I walked into the café, intending to get breakfast.

SPOV

I smiled smugly at the letter Devon was holding. With that reaction, there was only one person who could have sent that thing- Holly!

I was stunned by Chad's little speech, though. I felt a warmth in my chest at the reminder of the good times. Everyone slowly followed him into the café, and soon only me and Chastity were left. She started to walk past me, but paused and turned to me. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Hi, Sam." She murmured, and then continued into the café.

**A/N THERE YOU GO!**

**I hope you liked this chap! Sorry it was short, especially when the wait was so long! I've just had a lot going on- friend trouble, hard coursework, stuff like that :)**

**Anyway, I genuinely hope I didn't offend anyone. I know a guy who's literally the most camp person you'll ever meet, and I love him to bits! This chapter was meant to be FUNNY and nothing more.**

**Oh, and on another note- in the last chap you may have seen some things like this- [*] and [**] they were originally meant to be defined in the A/N, but I forgot, so I'll do it here;**

**[*] **_**Lucy**_** by Skillet**

**[**] chapter 4 reference.**

**Ok, that should be everything! Thanks for reading!**

**Reviews are love!**

**Hannah x**


	45. The Other Letters

**A/N Oh, my gosh. You people are amazing! I mean it. I mean, otherwise, how would I have got up ****837**** reviews after I posted the last chapter? I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**Shoutout to my new (anonymous) reader **k.98'PeaceOutSuckas **your reviews were awesome! In answer to your reviews: Yes, you can call me Hannah. Everyone else does. Yes 'have an affair' means he cheated. And I cracked those acronyms: **UOWMCSQTO- **Unhealthy Obsession with MusicChannySkyscraper's Quite the Opposite and **UOWMCSLWMS- **Unhealthy Obsession with MusicChannySkyscraper's Living with My Sonshine. Yeah, me and MusicChannySkyscraper are pretty good friends, here :P (shoutout to you too, Amy!) And yes, there will be Channy in the future. And Charles WILL get his comeuppance, cos a) I hate him too and b) I think y'all readers would kill me if I didn't! :P and finally, I do have plans for Grady romantically which don't involve Sonny, chill. Also, a shoutout to **XxSimplyAlicexX **another new(ish) reader :D**

**WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS STRONG ANGST AND HORROR.**

Chapter 46

The Other Letters

**CPOV**

Well, that was possibly the most embarrassing event in my entire life. I mean, I did just reveal that a) my best friend is a girl b) my cousin spent at least three years thinking I was gay (not openly admitted, but implied) and c) a ridiculous childhood nickname I'd managed to avoid for nearly four years.

I sat in window booth in the café, glowering at anyone who looked like they were contemplating even _thinking_ about sitting near me. I circled my hands around my coffee cup, appreciating the warmth- the recent embarrassment and consequential urge to crawl into a hole and never come out had made them a bit cold.

I glared down at my drink, wondering how on earth I'd be able to escape the mocking now. Anything to protect my secrets. And I was _so_ going to kill Jeff- _Holly_ when I next saw her. She'd never get me to the stupid interrogation, because I'd have murdered her. I was pretty sure I'd seen enough _CSI_ and _Criminal Minds_ to get away with it...

My thoughts were interrupted as someone slid into the booth opposite me, and I looked up, glaring. My glare froze on my face.

"You left these." Chastity said quietly. She set the pile of letters on the table in front of me. I looked from the singular letter crumpled beside my coffee cup to the unopened pile, and suddenly the fearful feeling returned- double force. The feeling was strong and purely instinctual. That didn't sit right. What could be so bad in the paper? True, Holly's letter had humiliated me for life, but that was embarrassment, not _fear_.

Then my phone bleeped. Grateful for the excuse, I pulled it out and opened the text message.

_**From: Layla D.**_

_**To: You**_

_**SOS! Chas knows! x**_

I looked up at the girl quickly. There was a small grin on her face.

How had she worked it out? And how did Sonny know that she knew? This conversation had to end... now.

"Kay... thanks... Chas..." I mumbled, not able to meet her eyes now. I hoped she'd take the incentive and leave.

She didn't.

After a few minutes, I looked at her.

"Look, Chastity... I don't mean to be rude or anything... but-"

"You want me to leave? Sure, I kinda guessed. You do look like a guy who's caught in his thoughts." She commented. I gave her a look, and she just laughed, and got to her feet. She walked over to sit with Skylar.

I took a long sip of my strong coffee, then reached my hand slowly towards the pile of letters.

I didn't know why, but I felt hesitant to touch them. I sorted through them slowly, recognising handwriting, addresses...

_Dear Chad..._

_Miss you..._

_See you soon..._

_Sonny... _

They all went around the same sort of lines, but I knew they were meant well. I reached the last letter, not caring about the fact that I was surrounded with letters and ripped envelopes (for now anyway).

The address on the letter was typewritten. I stared at it in confusion, and the flipped it over. I was about to rip it open when-

"Hey, Carly." A soft voice teased me. I almost smiled up at my best friend. Almost. I couldn't even meet her eyes.

"Hi. Come to further embarrass me? I already want to become a mountain hermit and never be seen again, y'know." I said lightly, still not looking up at her.

"Not funny." I could tell she was frowning at me, instantly making me feel guilty. I sneaked a glance up at her. Her face was sad. I forced a small smile.

"You gonna sit down or what, Munroe?" I asked tiredly. I didn't want to tell any more lies today.

"Are you sure?" She asked quietly, her eyes flickering towards our casts. I shrugged.

"I s'pose. Just sit with me. Please." I met her eyes finally, pleading with her silently. She hesitated, then slid into the booth opposite me. She stole my coffee. I didn't protest.

"You okay?" She asked quietly. We were both well-aware of the eyes watching us with growing fury.

"What do you think?" I asked warily. She looked up at me from over her- my- coffee cup.

"I think you're tired, embarrassed and cold. I think you want your coffee back. I think you're worried. About what they know, about what they think. About me. And so much else..." Her dark eyes softened. "And I think you need to talk."

Inexplicably, something about her comments made me mad.

"I didn't ask you for a mental analysis." I snapped, then regretted it as she flinched. Man, what was with me lately?

"You asked me what I thought." She said through her teeth. "And I told you. I'm sorry that it was _so_ hard to hear." She threw out sarcastically. A cold feeling hit me as she got to her feet abruptly.

"No, I'm sorry... Wait. Please." I was somewhat surprised when she sat down again slowly. Our casts were watching, but I didn't particularly care. Ours casts feeling a little bit annoyed was less important than us staying friends.

"That wasn't nice. I'm sorry. You were just trying to help."

"Yeah." She agreed. "Look, if you don't mind, I think I'll sit with my own cast. This is weird." She added, loud enough for the mentioned cast to hear. I almost rolled my eyes when they nodded in approval.

"Yeah, whatever." She took my coffee with her.

I think they noticed.

_D/I/K/Y_

"Right, everyone, I have some news- we're staying in the hotel today!" Jenny called as we officially finished breakfast. There was a murmur of surprise. We'd been kicked out of the hotel, one way or another, every day we'd been here.

"Yeah, yeah, mutter all you want. But there is a reason!" She said, eyes glowing with excitement.

"And that would be?" I heard myself call out boredly. Well, at least that looked good on the 'Chad Dylan Cooper' side. Ew.

"Well, Mr Cooper." Jenny smirked. "That would be because today you'll all be packing."

There was a short silence after this statement while everyone took in what she meant.

"We're leaving?"

"Where are we going?"

"I need a week to pack!"

Jenny held up a hand, and surprisingly, silence fell.

"Calm down, girls. Boys, thank you for not shouting my ear off. Yes, we are leaving. The bus will be taking us there, and you'll be sitting with your partners. Miss Balatico, you have until the coach arrives to pack. You'll be taking with you whatever you manage to get into your suitcase." Ohh, Marta got the stink eye. "And finally, our next destination is Portland, Oregon."

I stuck up my arm, ignoring the surprised looks.

"Yes, Mr Cooper?" Jenny asked warily.

"You know the way we live in Cali, Miss Henderson?" I asked. She nodded. "Why didn't we, y'know, go to Oregon _first_?" Honestly, Oregon was right above Cali, but we'd taken hours going to Colorado first. Jenny glared at me.

"Believe it or not, Mr Cooper, I'm not in charge here. Mr Condor is. I'm just responsible for getting you from place to place and making sure y'all _bond_." I don't think I was the only one who rolled my eyes there.

"Yeah, yeah. Just asking, Miss." I replied.

I walked slowly up to my room. I dumped clothes in my suitcase, barely conscious of my actions. I had a really, really bad feeling.

"Chad, man, you okay?" Devon asked. I stared at him.

"Like you care." Oh, my gosh, did I really have to sound like a whiny teenage girl? Too late to take the words back now. And I knew Devon, the male version of Marta, just wanted some gossip to spread, as if he hadn't caused enough damage earlier.

"Of course I care, man, you're my bud." He patted my shoulder patronisingly. "I mean, man, if you wanna talk, I'm here, bro."

"Oh, go make out with Marta or something." I moaned, shrugging his hand off my shoulder. It twinged, as if reminding me that I wasn't healed physically. I ignored the quick stab of pain, hoping against hope I hadn't flinched noticeably.

I pulled the final still-unopened letter from my pocket absent-mindedly, setting it on the bedside table. Devon stared at it, an evil grin spreading across his face.

"You gonna read that?" He asked, barely hiding his glee.

"No, and neither are you." I snapped, grabbing it again. Devon stared at the envelope in my hand speculatively, and out of desperation, I tucked it down the front of my jeans. His mouth dropped open, but he still looked speculative. Eww. **[*]**

"Try and get it. I dare you." I threatened blackly.

"No thanks, Cooper." He said after a minute, turning away. _Oh, thank God. _**[**]**

_D/I/K/Y_

The bus ride was silent. Crawling into the seat beside Sonny at the back of the bus, i'd slumped down and noticed that she had her headphones in. Crap. That ruled out talking. I knew if she was just listening to music, she'd have left one headphone out, but she was facing the window with both headphones in- blocking me.

I tried not to feel miffed, and pulled out my own iPod and put a metal playlist on. I didn't want to think. The bad feeling in the pit of my stomach hadn't gone away, and I felt fidgety and paranoid. Usually, at times like this, I'd play my guitar, or call Sonny, but obviously neither was an option. I squirmed in my seat, unable to stop my thoughts from wandering down more... unpleasant avenues.

Somehow, I managed to fall asleep.

_I was wandering through a town. My hometown, I realized, with a rush of nostalgia and guilt so strong I nearly woke up. It seemed... different, distorted somehow, but I couldn't exactly put my finger on it._

_It wasn't dark or light, just somewhere in between. But not dusk or twilight either. Just... in between._

_I walked on, glancing up at the plain white sky. It was completely white, like it looked in Texas or Wisconsin when it was about to snow, which meant there was little warning when rain began to pour._

_Not just any rain, either. It was hot, so hot it burned my skin where it splashed me. I held my hands out, and the liquid was dark, spiky red colour. It felt thick somehow. My strange curiosity turned to nausea when I realized what it was. _

_Blood. It was raining blood._

_My stomach rolled, and I hurriedly wiped my hands on my jacket. The 'rain' seemed to get heavier, and hotter. I felt like I was burning alive. In a panic, I threw myself into a run. Into the nearest house._

_But it wasn't over yet._

_Slamming and bolting the door behind me, I ran into the nearest room. I skidded across the floor, gripping the nearest solid object. My bloodied hands left red prints on the furniture._

_Unable to stop myself, I looked down to see what I'd slid on. _

_Blood. A deep, huge pool of the scarlet liquid was spreading slowly across the room. As if I had no control over my body, I started following the bloody trail across the floor, into the next room. I didn't want to. I didn't want to see what had been able to loose so much blood and crawl away, still bleeding._

_But my feet kept right on moving. _

_When I stopped, the room I was in was dark. As my eyes, adjusted, my stomach rolled. There was a body on the floor, and I really hoped it was dead now._

_There was blood all over the floor, and sprayed on the walls. I couldn't see quite what injuries the body had. I couldn't even make out the gender._

_Unwillingly, I walked closer, slipping once or twice in the blood. My knees bent forcefully and I knelt beside the body. I reached out, and brushed her hair with my fingers, because from this close, she was unmistakably a girl._

"_Oh, my..." I muttered._

_She was stirring. She was alive._

"_Ch- ugh... Ch..." She garbled. _

_Her throat had been cut. _

_I brushed her hair again, finding a part that wasn't matted thickly with blood. She knew me. I leaned a little closer. Blonde hair. Blonde hair? Her eyes flickered open for a few seconds, long enough for me to see the colour and me to throw up a little in my mouth._

"_Hayley!" I cried. "Hayley, Hayley... wake up, open your eyes for me, please!" Terrified, I pulled my jacket off and pressed it to her throat. She groaned, but I had to stop the blood. A part of me knew that it was futile, but I couldn't- wouldn't- leave my sister to die._

"_Hayley, Hayley baby, come on, stay with me, please, oh, please..." I cried. I pulled her to me as gently as I could, feeling the crunch of already broken bones shifting. "Who did this to you? Who could do this?" I was crying now, but I didn't care._

"_No, no, NO!" I screamed. She was going limp. "NO, don't leave me! Please, Hayley, please, girl, wake up!" Her muscles relaxed, and I pulled away in time to see her eyes flutter one more time and her jaw go slack._

"_HAYLEY!" I shrieked. Losing my head, I shook her beaten body, sobbing, screaming for her to come back to me._

_A soft chuckle sounded behind me. I turned quickly, still clinging to her broken body._

"_Dad?" My voice cracked. "Daddy?"_

"_She's not coming back, Chaddy." He said softly. "And it's your fault." I looked down at my sister. Broken. She was broken, beyond repair now._

"_It's not my fault. It can't be." I gasped. It couldn't be. I couldn't have caused this... this.. massacre._

"_Yes, it was. You caused her _death_ Chad. And you can be sure, she died in agony. She was tortured. That's on your hands, my son." I breathed out sharply. No, no, it couldn't... could it?_

"_Vanessa's in the next room, and your mother. He's with Esme now." Dad's eyes gleamed. Tears streamed down my face._

"_They're gone? He's killing her?"_

"_Oh, yes, they're dead. And he's not killing her. Yet."_

"_What do you...?"_

"_Such a small, pretty girl. He couldn't help himself. He had to _have_ her first."_

_This time, I vomited out. It looked like blood._

_My youngest sister, my baby, was being raped._

_My fault._

_Mine._

"_Yes, Chad." Dad smiled at me. "Yours."_

I sat up sharply, my breathing ragged.

I looked around for my sisters. Please, oh please, just let it have been a horrific dream... I was on the bus. With my cast and Sonny and Sonny's cast. But my family... I looked down at my hands, half expecting them to still be covered in blood. I looked completely normal, not like I'd stumbled in on a massacre.

Hands shaking, the others oblivious to my terror, I pulled out my phone. I misdialled several times before I managed to connect.

_Ring..._

_Ring..._

"Mr Cooper! PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY!" Miss Henderson yelled. I'm rather ashamed of the language that came out of my mouth then.

_Ring..._

"Hello?"

"Mom? Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you..." I muttered quickly.

"Chad? Honey, what is it?"

"You're okay. You're okay." I said, practically crying with relief. "Where's Hayley? And Nessa? And Esme?"

"They're fine, honey. I promise."

"Can you put them on?"  
"Okay..." My wonderful, amazing mother. She didn't ask the question.

"Chad?"  
"Hayley? Oh, thank you, you're alright. You're alright."

"Of course I am, you dolt. What's wrong?"

"Can you put either Nessa or Essie on?" I couldn't answer.

"Um, okay, then..."

"Hewwo?" My youngest sister's innocent voice asked.

"Essie. Hi." I breathed.

"Hi, Chaddy!" She said cheerfully.

"Essie, honey, are you okay? What have you been up to, baby girl?"

"Just stuff and stuff. Why?"

"Just school and stuff right? You haven't got hurt or anything, right?"

"No, Chaddy."  
"You promise?"

"I pwomise. Pinky pwomise." I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Okay. Okay, honey, that's great. Can you put Nessie on?"

"Kay." I waited, listening to her call for my oldest sister.

"Chad?"

"Hi, Nessie." I said softly.

"Uh oh... Nessie? Okay, what's up, baby brother?"

"Uh... nothin', Ness. Just... wanted to hear all your voices." I lied.

"Whatever, bro. Look, do you wanna speak to Mom again?"

"I... no, it's fine." Now that I knew my family were safe, I knew I had to get off the phone. Jenny was glaring at me, and some of my cast mates were staring.

"Alrighty, then. Give Sonny my love."

"Oh, that's nice." I muttered as she hung up.

I looked up at the accusing eyes.

"Please, just leave it." I said bleakly. And surprisingly, they listened.

_D/I/K/Y_

Later, I was alone up in the room. In Oregon, I was sharing a room with Devon and Grady, which was terrible, because Devon wouldn't leave me alone. No one had made out what I'd been saying on the phone, but they'd certainly picked up on my panic. And Devon wouldn't stop asking me about it.

Jenny had told me to stay in the room while everyone else went out to explore the town because of my bad behaviour on the bus. And ashamed as I was, the alone time was exactly what I needed.

Sitting down on my bed, I pulled out the last letter. The earlier feeling of dread came back to my stomach, and it rolled.

The tremors came back to my hands as I ripped the envelope open. The letter itself was also typewritten.

_Dear Chad_

_I hope you're enjoying Colorado. Your mother gave me the address of your hotel. Remember the note I left you before you left? I told you that your leaving doesn't mean you'll go unpunished._

_Don't worry, son, I'm sticking to the promise. I have a lot of friends in a lot of places. If I can't be there, personally, they'll make sure you get your punishments._

_Also, this is a reminder; if you tell anyone about this, I'll make your life hell. I can hurt your sisters, your mother, you girlfriend in a second. I'll find out Chad._

_And it won't be okay._

_That's a promise._

_And I keep my promises. After all, I'm only married to your mother until 'death do us part,'._

_That can be interpreted many ways._

_Your first punishment should be with you in Oregon soon._

_Dad_

This couldn't be happening. Too much, too much for any one person to handle.

Even for me.

My head started to spin, slowly at first. I think I screamed. I couldn't be sure. I lent (or did I hit?) my head on the wall, my hands shaking and the urge to scream (again?) strong. I slid down, into a sitting position, and wondered how I could save the ones I loved...

Without destroying myself.

**A/N DON'T KILL ME WITH BRICKS!**

**I really hope no-one wants to kill me too much right now. And I also hope no one is uncomfortable with the 'rape' reference. I don't personally think this needs raised to an M, but if anyone is offended, I will take it out. Please, let me know!**

**I hope you... um... enjoyed this chapter. I promised angst... and angst you got. I swear, I'm sorry for being so evil!**

**[*] that was so awkward to write...**

**[**] he's not blaspheming. He's genuinely thankful, and praying.**

**Please review, whether you want to kill me or not.**

**Cos reviews are love, whether you hate me or not! :P**

**Hannah x**


	46. Authors Note, with love

**A/N I just received a very emotional review from **k.98'PeaceOutSuckas

**Argyri, I promise I'm staying right here. Even if I lose interest in SWAC, I'll still be here, writing stupid fanfictions to dispel boredom. I promise I'll finish DIKY and any other stories I've started. I promise I'll never forget any of you, from **k.98'PeaceOutSuckas **to MusicChannySkyscraper, and all of you amazing, beautiful people in between, I'll never forget any of you. Right here, I've found a family. I've found a place where I can run and hide and be protected and comforted, maybe not even consciously, when I'm breaking down over again. You people have truly marked my life. You're a family to me- each and every single review, favorite, alert and viewer count means the world to me. I love you all so deeply. SWAC will always mean something to me, too **k.98'PeaceOutSuckas- **they were the couple that landed me in this crazy, amazing, emotional place they call . You people have made me laugh, cry, smile and love you more deeply with every passionate word written. I hope that I've been able to have that affect on you too, but a girl can only pray that her new internet family love her every bit as deeply as she loves them. **

**Argyri, it was a blow to me when we lost Abbie left Fanfiction too. We lost an amazing person right then, and I doubt you were the only one who was hurt. I'm so, so grateful that you left that review on my story- I hope that this helps. I hope you feel better soon :)**

**Please, Argyri. Be happy and smile a little, because even though we'll leave eventually, we can all look back on this amazing, beautiful family that we've created here on this crazy fandom.**

**I love you all so much, and especially you, right now, Argyri.**

**God bless everyone**

**Hannah xxx**


	47. Gift of a Friend

**A/N Do you know you all made me cry?**

**In a good way, of course. In your reviews to my author's note, you were all literally so sweet and so damn loving that I had tears dribbling down my cheeks! *wipes imaginary tear* I love you guys!**

**Replies to anonymous reviews:**

k.98'PeaceOutSuckas; **lol, feel free to review randomly in your boredom. Your reviews make me smile :) and I'm happy that I make you smile too! You're awesome, don't forget :P And I swear, I love your reviews. **

**Ohhh, and I read 'Sending the Message'! It was awesome, I hope you know that. Love you, sis!**

Nicole;** your review was probably the one that made me MOST, emotional, followed by **k.98'PeaceOutSuckas... **seriously! Thank you for being so sweet about my writing! I'm happy I inspire you :D and, awwww! Of course I accept you as part of the family! Honestly, every time I read that, I feel the urge to hug you :) welcome to the family, sis! :D**

**Whoa, emotion... :P **

**And guys, I'm aware that you all want to kick the crap out of Charles. Don't worry, I has a PLAN for him! ;) It will come in later, but I have to do you all that justice for being so wdljasekgnstrhn amazing.**

Chapter 47

Gift of a Friend

**SPOV**

"I didn't ask you for a mental analysis."

I flinched away from his unexpected snap, feeling a stab of pain in my chest, closely followed by a hot surge of anger. I wanted to _help_.

"You asked me what I thought, and I told you. I'm sorry that it was _so_ hard to hear." I hadn't been aware that I was clenching my teeth until I spoke.

I pushed myself to my feet, feeling the sudden desire to be as far away from here as was possible. I needed to go somewhere- somewhere- anywhere-

"No, I'm sorry... Wait." I hesitated, and my desire to leave warred with the sudden alarm at my best friend's pleading. He knew when I needed space, and he was breaching that. "Please." The single word, just one syllable, broke me. Turning warily, I sank back into my chair slowly. I felt my phone vibrate against my leg, and I could see my cast-members had their phones out in the corner of my eye.

I didn't care.

I met Chad's eyes slowly. The last of my anger dissipated rapidly when I saw the mix of sorrow and pleading in his eyes. If I could've sighed, I could have, but just for a second, I was unable to look away.

"That wasn't nice. I'm sorry. You were just trying to help."

"Yeah." I mumbled, barely coherent. I still couldn't break eye contact. An odd, hot-and-cold feeling crept up my stomach, and I leaned back a little. "Look, if you don't mind, I think I'll sit with my own cast. This is weird." I said loudly. He agreed solemnly, and I left, stealing his coffee.

Weird? He didn't know the brand-new _bizarre _extent of it.

_D/I/K/Y_

I threw my clothes in my suitcase with ferocity. I was worried, I was mad, and I was a little bit freaked out.

I was worried, because the calls from _her_ were getting more and more frequent. And the pain in my fractured wrist was impossible to put out of my head, for some reason, and I wanted more painkillers, even though I was already above the day's suggested dosage- and it wasn't even noon yet.

I was mad because of Marta. Who else?

"Keep away from mah Chaddy." She shrieked at me as soon as I entered the room. I rubbed my sore head and fervently regretted overdoing the paracetemol, because it wasn't working.

"For the thousandth time, Balatico, I don't _want_ Chad. On another note, he isn't yours, and he doesn't want to be yours. Okay?"

But of course it wasn't.

"He IS mine, and he will always BE mine. Okay?" She used a descriptive word I didn't particularly like hearing. She thought it was cool.

_She_ had said that's what I was. I flinched from the thought.

"Oh, and you're ugly." Marta added as an afterthought. I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks Marta, you're not the first to say so." Why did I say that? Her cold eyes gleamed. "That just proves I'm right. I mean, you obviously don't care about clothes at _all_. What's with the jeans? Do you have gender confusion, or something?" I continued to fold clothes and throw them at my suitcase, not turning to face the annoying girl lounging on Chastity's bed.

"No, Balatico, I wear the jeans out of choice. And wearing belts as substitutes for skirts and flashing your boobs doesn't equate to good fashion sense, it equates to a desire to be raped." I stated, refusing to let her see that my hands were shaking. After a few minutes of silence, she'd snapped out a

"Whatever."

I guess that meant I'd won. Yippee for me.

I was freaked out because of Chad. Something was changing. He'd looked at me and I- I hadn't been able to look away.

Guess that was what was called growing apart... Or, maybe not.

Whatever it was... I hoped it wouldn't hurt us too badly.

_D/I/K/Y_

I crawled into that same back row on the bus. I waited for Chad to join me, but the strange new feeling that had started in my stomach felt like it was spreading. And he was being mean to me. He apologised but...

That wasn't the reason, not at all.

I was confused.

He was lying to me about something. I knew that. But I was lying too him, as well. It reminded me of a random Avril Lavigne song: "_Before I lose my mind, because you lied, but so did I..._" **[*]**

It was so frustrating!

Almost unconsciously, I pulled my iPod out of the side pocket of my bag and shoved my headphones on. I didn't have enough emotion left to laugh at the irony when the very song I'd been thinking of came blasting through them. I fought a yawn- insomnia had attacked me forcefully the night before- and rolled to the side, pressing my forehead to the window just as Chad threw himself into the seat beside me. I could feel his eyes on me- which didn't surprise me.

What did surprise me, was the feeling that spread through me as I acknowledged the fact.

Yes, something was _definitely_ off.

_D/I/K/Y_

I pulled my headphones out when I heard Chad talking. I pushed myself into a proper sitting position, and turned to him subtly. I was about to ask him to repeat himself, when I actually looked at him.

His eyes were shut tight, his hands twisting, and he was shaking, practically convulsing. There was a little bit of sweat on his forehead. I wanted to reach for his hand, to calm him somehow, but I was frozen in shock as the nightmare panicked him.

"Hayley!" He whispered, sounding terrified. My eyebrows furrowed. His sister? "Don't go, sis, please, please, stay with me!" He was practically weeping, but he was so quiet, and no one was noticing but me. My heart ached for him, and my hand ached to reach for him, but I knew I had to let the nightmare play out, or he'd be more likely to get a nightmare later.

So I just wearily reached over and stroked his arm gently, lightly, not trying to wake him up, but comforting. Sure enough, his spasms calmed, but he continued to murmur, pleading his sister to stay with him.

And then he stiffened. My hand on his arm, I noticed this immediately. I bit my lip, waiting to see what was changing.

"My fault. Mine. It's my fault." He wept. I rubbed his shoulder, trying to soothe him again. His shoulders slowly relaxed, and his mumbling even stopped. I felt a rush of affection. His face was open, in a rare show of innocence. I dropped my hand from his arm, knowing I'd done all I could.

As soon as my hand was in my lap, Chad's eyes snapped open and he shot into a sitting position. His eyes flickered around, impossibly wide, then down to his hands and around again. I recognised the signs of a full-scale panic, and was about to try and calm him down again, when he whipped his phone to his ear, shaking violently.

It wouldn't have taken me three guesses to see who he was phoning.

Unfortunately for my panicking best friend, Jenny chose that moment to check everyone was where they should be. Jenny had made a strict rule of no phone calls on the bus; there was too other things going on, and people had a habit of hijacking each others phone calls.

The second her eyes set upon Chad, she looked furious.

"Mr Cooper! PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY!" Chad, irrational and panicked as he was, looked up quickly, his eyes border-lining on blood-shot.

"I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU, YOU OVER-CONTROLLING-!" My jaw dropped as Chad yelled a swear-word. Jenny's mouth dropped even farther than mine; unlike me, she'd _never_ heard him swear. I'd only heard him swear under his breath and only when he was really, really steaming mad, so even I was surprised. Everyone stared at him, identical looks of shock on their faces. Marta's melted to some kind of pride though, giving me the strong urge to throw something at her.

"Mr Cooper!" Jenny hissed. Too late, Chad was tuned out. Everyone managed to turn away, the excitement fading, though he still got a few odd glances.

"Mom? Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you..." He near-well sobbed. I would hug him, but it would probably embarrass him. And make our casts kill us. Again.

I listened, sympathetic, as he spoke to his mom and then his sisters. His expression slowly smoothed out, and he even laughed a little.

"Oh, that's nice." I smiled a little. Vanessa, obviously. Chad snapped his phone shut, and everyone turned to stare again. Chad flinched slightly seeing all the eyes on him.

"Please, just leave it." He begged, catching everyone by surprise. Even me. He dropped his head into his hands, and I glared at the anyone who was still staring. Marta mouthed some threat at me, but I just stuck my tongue out at her, and she turned away.

I watched out of the corner of my eye as Chad fought to stay awake. It tugged at my heartstrings- whatever he'd dreamed of had clearly shoved him to the edge. But the suspicious, the curious glances he, and by extension I, kept getting from various cast members, I couldn't comfort him. I just watched, watched as his eyes finally slid closed. He did start to freak once, but I squeezed his hand while no one was watching, and it seemed to calm him down.

I was worried though- he hadn't told Julia or his sisters what had worried him, and once Chad started to keep a secret- he found it hard to stop, to reveal to anyone. And I had no doubts that this was something he needed to talk about.

But how far would he go to lie to me?

_D/I/K/Y_

Thankfully, the hotel **(as yet unnamed, as I rush through this chapter) **wasn't a long walk away from where we stopped the bus in the middle of Portland. I'd stayed awake most of the bus journey, but my arms were dead.

As soon my room was assigned, I started to drag my suitcase again. Thankfully, Jenny obviously took pity on us, and allowed us to use the elevator rather than dragging our cases and ourselves up fourteen flights of stairs. I was the first into the room, which meant that, I managed to get the only single bed. In answer to my prayers, I wouldn't be forced to have a panic attack every time I went to bed.

I'd only just started unpacking my things when my roommates came through the door; Zora and Chastity. I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that I wouldn't have to room with Marta while we were here. Not that I was scared of her; I just didn't want to break another bone or to be constantly tempted to commit murder. I had much bigger things to be scared of, much scarier than a Hollywood girl with a vendetta.

"Yo, Allie!" I was shocked when little Zora threw her arms around me. I hugged her back, a little awkwardly, wary of my broken wrist and just darn confused.

"Hey, kiddo. What's up?"

"Nothin'. You're a nicer 'sister' than Tawni." I awed quietly, at the simple comment that could make me feel so loved and so responsible at the sane time.

"N'awwww. She wasn't being mean was she?" I asked her, suddenly reluctant to stop hugging her.

"Nah. Just made some comment about me being so much younger than the rest of you. It's not fair!" She whined.

"You are younger than us, honey. But if Tawn offended you, you need to talk to her about it." I said gently, remembering suddenly just how young she really was. Older than Esme, but younger than Hayley. My third little sister.

"Can you talk to her about it?" And her little voice just tugged on my heartstrings, cornering me into arguing with Tawni in Zora's defence, which wasn't always the most enjoyable use of my free time. Lovely and bubbly as Tawni was, she was also quite vain and _extremely_ stubborn.

"Okay." I agreed, and Zora made a squeak of happiness, before drawing away from me and throwing herself up the ladder into the top bunk. I shook my head. I remembered being that eager to get the top bunk...

Chastity came out of the bathroom.

"Oh my gosh, Allie, you should have seen it!" She gushed. Surprised as usual by her ability to be nice to me, I was wary.

"Saw what, Chastity?" I asked, not turning to her as I restarted my unpacking.

"Chad!" She said, like it was obvious. I stiffened very slightly.

"And I should have seen this, why...?"

"Jenny sent him to his room! He's not allowed to take part in anything at all tonight, and he has to sit on his own at dinner!" Normally, I would have giggled, but nearly nine years of knowing the boy told me that alone-time was _not_ what the boy needed right now.

"Why?" I asked her conversationally.

"Because of him swearing at her on the bus of course! I've never seen him like that, it was so weird... Wonder what was up with him?"

I could hear the assumption in her voice, but I wasn't going to act like the best friend and confirm her suspicions so easily.

"I wonder." I replied absently.

"Aw, c'mon Allie... You were sitting beside him, you must know!" Frowning, I turned to her, hands on my hips.

"What makes you think I was paying attention? He's not my responsibility, Chastity, any more than I am his." I said firmly. I glanced to see Zora sitting stalk straight, staring at me.

They were both staring at me.

"Fine..." I gave in, sighing. "He was having some kind of nightmare, alright?" Catching the looks on their faces, I jumped to defend myself. "What else could it have been?" I felt like I'd betrayed him. I did. But what else could I do?

"And the phone call?" Strangely, the prompt came from Zora. I sighed, blowing my fringe out of my face.

"Look, no offence, but that's Chad's business. He didn't want to talk about it, and I'm no gossip. We may hate each other, but I'm no Marta. I'm not spreading rumours or gossip or passing information." I spun back to my suitcase, and ignored any other attempts at conversation. The drive to Portland had taken a few hours, and we'd left in the afternoon, and we weren't meeting for dinner til after nine.

I sighed. Right now I wanted nothing but to hug Chad, pop a few sleeping pills and painkillers, and curl up in bed for a few hours- or days. But sadly, life goes on. I just needed to talk to Chad at dinner. What with all the baleful cast members, and the fact that Chad was supposed to be being forcefully anti-social, it should've been a piece of cake, right?

_D/I/K/Y_

"He's where?" I asked Jenny for the third time.

"I told you, Miss Munroe. Chad's in his room. He didn't want to come out, and told me so quite forcefully, and in doing so earned himself some more alone time." I hit my forehead with my good hand despairingly. Dinner had just ended, and Chad was nowhere to be found. Everyone else had either headed back to their rooms or to explore the hotel, giving me a chance to talk to Jenny like Sonny rather than Allie.

"Look, Jenny, I don't mean to scare you or be rude, but you really need to trust me on this!" I pleaded, meeting her eyes. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"I'm listening." I knew my favorite teacher was in there somewhere!

"Alone time- it's the last thing Chad needs right now. You may not have noticed, but the boy can act like a scary mix of Edward Cullen and Jasper Hale- unpredictable, moody, and _very_ stubborn. Right now he's thinking, a lot. And I don't know what's scaring him so badly, but there's something. But he definitely doesn't need alone time, Jenny, because I have a freaking scary feeling that he will do something very, very stupid." I turned away, the sudden tears coming to my eyes embarrassing me.

"And it was hard enough to forgive him the first time." The words came out really very softly, but I hadn't meant them to come out at all.

Jenny reached for my shoulder, gently, professionally, but it was too late.

Horrified at my own vulnerability, and the idiotic amount of information I'd spilled, I fled to my room.

_D/I/K/Y_

**CPOV**

**17 missed calls from: **_**Layla D.**_

**10 new messages from: **_**Layla D.**_

_**From: Layla D.**_

_**To: You**_

_Where are you? _

_**From: Layla D.**_

_**To: You**_

_Are you okay?_

_**From: Layla D.**_

_**To: You**_

_Chad?_

_**From: Layla D.**_

_**To: You**_

_Goldfarb! Answer the phone, you asshat, or so help me..._

_**From: Layla D.**_

_**To: You**_

_Chad, you're freaking me out._

_**From: Layla D.**_

_**To: You**_

_Talk to me, Chad._

_**From: Layla D.**_

_**To: You**_

_Chad, honey? What's going on?_

_**From: Layla D.**_

_**To: You**_

_Chad, tomorrow, we're going to talk. You need to trust me again. Don't you love me, Chad?_

_**From: Layla D.**_

_**To: You**_

_It's called the gift of a friend Chad. I'm your BEST friend. Why won't you talk to me? Who do I have to kill?_

_**From: Layla D.**_

_**To: You**_

_Something's changing, Chad... And it's scaring me._

**A/N where the end of that came from, I have no idea... I hope y'all liked it though! Y'all should call me superwoman, I've made it through half a ton of coursework AND nearly four pages of DIKY, just for you! Now I must do maths homework... *looks at school bag in terror***

**Review! Cos reviews are love!**

**(And so are updates, according to **k.98'PeaceOutSuckas ;)**)**

**Hannah x**


	48. Bruised and Confused Part I

**A/N I love you all so incredibly much :) don't forget, okay?**

**Shoutouts;**

k.98'PeaceOutSuckas; **ashsdkfjnsdfkghsfg. You keep making me wanna hug you! I'm determined to get this chappie up as fast as possible, just for you! I swear, your reviews either make me smile or nearly cry or BOTH. No, it is not, and never will be The Goodbye :) I love you too, and it warms my heart knowing that you'll always be with me. You're amazing! *sends you a virtual hug* and I'm touched that you would sneak in to read even when you're grounded. That's like... whoa. A poem? I loved the poem. RE-DOUBLING MY EFFORTS TO UPDATE! And the one about you thinking it was like a best-selling author quality? HOLY CRAP. I flipping love you. And I'm glad to call you sister :D And I read your SECOND story. Was 'It Was Him' the title, yeah? ;)**

ChAnNyObSeSsEd **of course you can be a sister! Aww! *hugs* And you look up to me? *blushes* whoa! Love you!**

**Thank you so much to everyone and anyone else who reviewed. As this A/N is already ridiculously long, I can't mention everyone- sorry!**

**Enjoy the chapter... ;)**

Chapter 48

Bruised and Confused

SPOV

Zora and Chastity were asleep, but I was awake.

And practically tearing my hair out.

I checked my phone, biting my lip and tugging at my hair.

Nothing.

I resisted the urge to call him again. If he picked up, there was no doubt I would yell at him and cry for him and do all sorts of ridiculous things that would wake up Zora and Chastity as well as whoever Chad was rooming with.

If felt strange not knowing.

I wanted nothing more than to run to the boy's room and make sure he was okay. _If_ he was okay. My mouth felt dry. I started fiddling with the ends of my hair.

He had to be okay. He _was_ okay. Right? Right.

So why was I so worried?

_D/I/K/Y_

**Devon's POV [*]**

"... And _then_, that Allie, that idiot, was all like 'He's not yours, Marta'. I mean, who does she think she is? God. I mean..." **[**]** I tuned the Marta out. She was hot, but oh, _so_ annoying. And boring.

"Uh... Yeah. Annoying. Right." I said absently.

"Devon! You're not _listening_ to me!" Marta whined.

"Yeah, I am." I lied. She pouted at me. I tried my best not to glare at her- she was useful.

"Whatever." She huffed. "Look at my new purse- it's a special pre-order from _Gucci_! I got it special 'cos I'm a valued customer." The way she said it, you'd think it was an accomplishment or something. Man, I didn't even know what Gosse or whatever was.

"Yeah, yeah." I muttered, standing up and prising her hand off me. "Laters!" I threw over my shoulder. She yelled something after me, but I'd tuned out again.

I pressed the button for the elevator, leaning against the wall. The doors slid open and some random chick stepped out. Her mouth opened when she saw me, and she did some weird fan-girl scream. I winked at her, then quickly dodged around her as she started to dive at me.

I pressed the button for my floor, then settled back against the back wall, smirking at the girl on the other side of the lift. She stared at me. I didn't stop smirking at her the whole time she was on the thing. It was hard for her to leave while I was staring at her, I could tell.

I sauntered out of the metal doors and down to my room. I opened the door just in time to see our weirdo 'leader' Chad throwing himself off the top bunk and onto the floor. He lay sprawled across the ground, groaning.

"Dude, what are you doing?" I tried for concerned, but I think my amusement might have shown through. Chad made a weird noise as he struggled into a sitting position.

"Tryin' to fix my shoulder." He said through his teeth. I stared at him. What the? "It's dislocated." He added. The door swung open before I could reply, and the freakish cheese loving _Random_ walked in. I glared at him on automatic.

"Who's dislocated what?" He asked, confused. As usual. Idiot.

"Me. Shoulder." Chad grunted, falling flat on his back again. "Help me up, would ya?" He addressed me. I reluctantly stuck a hand out and pulled him up- after all, I did have to fake allegiance to him because he was the lead of MF.

"Thanks, man." He said, shaking his head.

"_Any_time, bro." I grinned at him, patting his shoulder. He winced. Wimp. He rolled his eyes in my direction, then ran out of the room.

"Yo, Random, what time is it?" I snapped, disgusted at having to speak to... to... _that._ That which was currently holding a cheese-patterned shirt to his chest and staring at his reflection in the mirror speculatively.

"Ten to ten. So, nearly time to go downstairs." (**Author starts in horror, realizing she needs to dive into Google for tourist info and hasn't done it yet... *face-palm*)**

"Whatever, dude." No way was I _thanking_ that thing. I don't thank anybody. I left then, wanting to put as much distance between me and _that_ as possible.

_D/I/K/Y_

TPOV

I glared at the back of Marta's head as we walked down the stairs. The girl was gabbling on and on and _on_ about how terrible we 'Randoms' were- especially Allie. I know Allie isn't perfect, but the urge to slap Marta's silly face was slowly growing stronger. And the suspicion that Allie's broken wrist had _everything_ to do with Marta was becoming more urgent in the back of my mind, too.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I walked smack into Marta's back. I made an annoyed sound, then tried to move around her.

And then I froze as well.

For once, I couldn't really blame Marta for doing something. The sight had frozen me up, too.

That sight being Allie and Chad sitting together on one of the couches. Oh, and Allie doing some very bizarre thing to Chad's arm.

Slightly dazed, I made my way over to them.

"Allie...?" I asked. She didn't seem to hear me.

"Look, Chad, I'm gonna have to ask you to sit _still_. Squirming won't help, it will just make my job more difficult." She said through her teeth.

"But it _hurts, _Sonny!" He whined.

"Okay, usually I'd be all nice and sympathetic, but you're seriously wearing my patience thin here, so listen to me when I say this." She began firmly. Chad nodded, indicating he was listening. She leaned a little closer to him, making my eyes narrow.

"Suck it up!" She hissed. He looked on the verge of pouting, but she tightened her grip on his arm again, and did the weird slamming motion with it again.

"OW!" He yelled, and flinched away from her. She shook her head, and made to get up, and he made a grab for her arm. "One more time, please?" Allie glared at him.

"Why don't you ask someone who can use the full strength of _both_ their arms? I have a broken wrist!" He didn't answer her, and she sighed, before grabbing his arm once more.

"Okay, lean that way. No, Chad, the _other_ that way! Yes, there. Good. Now, stay still, or else we'll never get this done. There. Yeah. Oh, lean back slightly? No, not that much... Okay... perfect!" I watched her monologue, my eyebrows raised. "I'm gonna count down, so do whatever you have to do, just keep your body _still_!" She threatened him. "Three... two..." The terrified look on his face was priceless. "ONE!" She shoved his arm again.

_Crunch._

"OWWW, DAMMIT!" Chad yelled. Allie slapped him up the head for swearing.

"Just be grateful I fixed it, Pooper, or else it would be me dragging _you_ to the hospital this time!" I started, remembering that time last week. It had gone completely out of my head, but the evidence of _caring_ behind that threat caught my attention. It didn't make me _mad_ exactly- I was starting to notice that doing just a little caring was a natural, pre-required part of them- but it didn't quite sit right. And what had been wrong with his arm?

Chad got to his feet and rolled his shoulder, moaning whether in pain or in relief I didn't know. He turned to Allie.

"Miss Munroe, how can I ever thank you for um... un-dislocating my shoulder?" He asked, grinning at her. My eyebrows shot into my hairline. He _dis_located his shoulder? HOW? And now he was kind of flirting with her... _again_. Allie smiled very slightly.

"I'll have to think about that one." She said, her smile growing into a smirk. And... she was flirting back. He mock-bowed at her.

"I must bid you adieu, then, Miss." He smirked, then walked away. I stared at him, my eyebrow feeling like it was stuck far too high on my forehead.

Allie smirked and gave him a mock-salute.

I stared between the two of them, lost.

_D/I/K/Y_

CPOV

At three in the morning, I managed to pull myself back into my room. I threw my phone onto my bed, unable to face the messages I'd been forced to read out loud any longer. It wasn't like I could send an honest answer to my best friend, anyway.

And I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to make it all the way over there, anyway. My body felt like it was going to never move again.

Almost before I'd finished thinking that, I found myself slumped on the floor.

"I'm in so much pain..." I moaned into the floor, which I found myself face to face with in my new sprawled-across-the-ground position. Now that I'd stopped moving, I was conscious of every bruise, hurt, sting and break. And I had a strong feeling there was a dislocation somewhere in there, too.

Rolling over to breathe in something other than carpet, I tried to take stock of my injuries. Bruise over my left eye, deep-ish cut on my cheek, many random bruises patterned over my torso and legs, and what felt suspiciously like a dislocated shoulder. I groaned again, and curled into a ball. In the attempt, I realized that the recent beating hadn't done much for my ribs either- if I got kicked around like that again too soon, they were going to _break_. And that wasn't as easily fixed as cuts and bruises.

It was starting to get embarrassing, really. I mean, what would it look like- when someone noticed me wearing make-up to cover bruises? Or when someone figured out that I wasn't as naturally tan as I pretended to be? I was getting beaten up on a regular basis, and I didn't have the courage to_ say_ anything about it;

I was _pathetic_.

But there was no way I was yelling for help, sending up the red flag (or sparks) now- I needed to protect my girls. I needed to go through the pain and the agony, for my sisters- for my mom- and for Sonny. Each one of them means more than anything to me, each of them keeping safe much more important than my bruises dislocations and breaks. As ridiculous as it sounded, I truly believed that keeping them safe was worth it. Because I loved them.

_D/I/K/Y_

"You need me to _what_?" Sonny exclaimed.

"I need you to push my shoulder back into place." I said for the third time, staring at my lap sheepishly.

"And _why_," She glared at me. "is your shoulder _out_ of place at all?"

"I... um... fell." Sleep-deprived and in pain as I was, I couldn't really dodge her. And I hated lying to her, with a passion.

"You... _fell_. And in doing so... you dislocated your shoulder." Yeah, it sounded even lamer when she said it than when I stuttered it out.

"Uh huh." I said, unconvincingly. She smiled charmingly at me.

"And you think that I, with my broken wrist, will be able to pop it back into place, with no viable explanation?" She asked, her tone sugar-sweet.

"Uh huh." I agreed, my voice coming out high.

"Even though you refused to answer any of my calls or texts last night?"

"Mm..." And now I was unable to even form two full syllables.

"Even though you're not explaining to me what's up with the bruise over your eye?" Uh oh.

I just grunted this time.

"Fine, I'll do it. Cos I'm amazing."  
"Yes, you are." I agreed quickly, hoping to make her smile. No luck.

"Okay, Chad." She said. "Hold on while I grab some rainbows and duct tape and portable sunshine to go along with that. And a pony! Ohh, and maybe my dad, even though he died when I was twelve. Yeah, let's go along with all these _honest, normal, _EXPLAINABLE plans. Yeah, I'll go along with it. Sure." She said sarcastically.

Well.

This may be harder than I thought.

**A/N GOSH. This chapter was so flipping difficult! And it's so late, even though this is barely even NEAR finished, imma leave it here and post anyway, because it's been a whole week! On the bright side, this means I will post the chapter after this more quickly-er. Yay!**

**Guys, I'm aware that this chapter... sucks. I am. It's a mess, it's all over the place! I accept that. But... ugh. Please, please- drop me a review? Even if you hate the craptacular quality that I'm ashamed to present to you.**

**[*] I know. EW. But necessary for the plot of this chap.**

**[**] I DIDN'T WANT TO WRITE THAT. MEHHHH. I hate blaspheming. I even hate the ****word ****blaspheming. It's so... awkward.**

**Finally: I know this will sound pathetic- BUT OASDJSKDFDFG WE'RE ON 888 REVIEWS! Please... as an author who's a sucker for reviews... can this chapter make it to 900? PLEASE? That's just 12 reviews, my amazing readers!**

**So... whether you loved it or hated it... Please, please review! Cos reviews...**

**Are love. Whether you loved it or not.**

**Au revoir!**

**Hannah x**


	49. Bruised and Confused Part II

**A/N Busy, busy, busy! I apologise for any long delays in updating, because I swear, my life is trying to drown me! I've got homework, Church, coursework, Duke of Ed, hockey, friends, any other school stuff, sleeping AND writing to balance. I swear, days should be a couple hours longer; I'd definitely be able to handle life better *face palms* **

**ANYWAY, enough about me; what about you? You lovely, amazing, incredible, _crazy_ people! I love you! I asked for twelve reviews, and I GOT 25! I'm on 914 reviews! *dies* I opened my email and was just hit with review alerts. It was lovely, you're all so sweet! I don't deserve you, any of you...**

**And it was amazing receiving so many anonymous reviews, and reviewers I'd never seen before! Seriously, if you're reading, feel free to drop a review any time; I love them! And don't apologise for rambling, or being too long. I adore length, and I admittedly enjoy all your rambles. I like that you share with me. Thanks :)**

**Shoutouts! **MusicChannySkyscraper;** you're review practically knocked my socks off, in a figurative sense. I love you too :) I blushed, cried, and smiled like an idiot! You're awesome, and I loooove you Cookie! **

k.98'PeaceOutSuckas; **as per usual, you bombarded me with reviews, made me feel like I needed to fly to wherever you live and hug the living daylights out of you, and cry and smile and laugh. I swear; each and every review makes me love you that little bit more. (in a family way;)) I understand what you mean with the 'deeper than FF sisters' thing. Bit. Whatever word you want to use. And it feels amazing, knowing I have someone like you to fall back on if I ever need you. And your stories are amazing! I wanna read more! And simply, I just want to say thank you; thank you for being so flipping ajfsdkfs amazing awesome lovely nice sweet brilliant. If you catch my meaning :') OH. And I'm glad your grounding is over :D**

**And now; for a chapter! I hope you enjoy it ;)**

Chapter 49

Bruised and Confused [Part II]

(alt. Pretend)

_**Previously on Don't I Know You?...**_

_She smiled charmingly at me._

"_And you think that I, with my broken wrist, will be able to pop it back into place, with no viable explanation?" She asked, her tone sugar-sweet._

"_Uh huh." I agreed, my voice coming out high._

"_Even though you refused to answer any of my calls or texts last night?"_

"_Mm..." And now I was unable to even form two full syllables._

"_Even though you're not explaining to me what's up with the bruise over your eye?" Uh oh._

_I just grunted this time._

"_Fine, I'll do it. Cos I'm amazing."  
"Yes, you are." I agreed quickly, hoping to make her smile. No luck._

"_Okay, Chad." She said. "Hold on while I grab some rainbows and duct tape and portable sunshine to go along with that. And a pony! Ohh, and maybe my dad, even though he died when I was twelve. Yeah, let's go along with all these honest, normal, EXPLAINABLE plans. Yeah, I'll go along with it. Sure." She said sarcastically._

_Well._

_This may be harder than I thought._

CPOV

I blinked at my best friend at a loss. Her chin stuck out stubbornly, and someone who had never seen her before would have been able to pick up on her sarcastic expression. She crossed her arms, her lips slipping into a pout.

"Sound fair?" She asked, sugar sweet. I shot her a pleading look.

"Please, Sonny! Please! I wouldn't trust anyone else to relocate my shoulder! Please, please, please?" Her eyebrows raised, and I sighed internally. Time to use dirty tricks; guilt and charm.

"Sonny... honestly, I'd go to the hospital; really, I would, but I can't. I can't go face my cast, the paparazzi, and most importantly, my mom. Cos if my cast finds out, the paps will find out, which means my mom will _definitely_ find out. And she's already got her asshat husband, three daughters, and me as a son to deal with. Isn't that enough? Y'know she'd never say anything, but she's at breaking point.

"And Sonny; I know you can do it. I mean, last time, when I got in that fight, you were amazing! I know I wouldn't have felt to much better if some random nurse chick fixed me up then- and now. I trust you." She glanced up at me, an odd expression in her eyes. Encouraged, I scrambled ahead.

"Please, Sonny? Just fix my shoulder for me. I'll buy you all the coffee you want for the rest of the week- bonding trip." I hurriedly corrected myself, seeing her eyebrows rise very slightly.

"And I need you. I'm being a stupid, pathetic idiot, but I'd rather you did it than some random nurse, because it will be slightly less humiliating if I cry." I didn't dare look at her now, and I was out of words. Was this all really for my shoulder?

_No._

Not really. I wanted her to trust me. And to _want_ to help me. I felt like I needed to justify myself to her, because feeling less like the best friend and more like the enemy while I _ordered_ her to help me felt wrong.

"Fine." The small breath wasn't sarcastic this time, but it wasn't thrilled either. She sounded resigned. I smiled.

"Thank you."

She grabbed my arm, none too gently, and shoved it, _hard_. There was what felt like a crunch, and a wave of splitting pain, but the small noise my best friend made told me it wasn't fixed yet. Trying to move further proved this theory.

"That's not it." Sonny pointed out the obvious. Having had to beg her to do this for me, I bit back the sarcastic pain-caused retort on the tip of my tongue.

"Try again." I grunted. She tried. And tried. And _tried_.

However, my dislocated shoulder had evidently decided it liked its new position rather than the normal, less-painful position I and (most of) the rest of the population were used to.

I could hear some people arriving in the lobby, but I ignored it all. The pain in my shoulder was the sharpest, the most demanding, of all my physical hurts, so I wanted rid of it. I couldn't exactly walk around with a dislocated shoulder anyway.

Sonny was getting pretty annoyed at me; despite my best efforts, I started shying away whenever she was about to re-attempt pushing my shoulder back into place.

"But it _hurts_, Sonny!" I whined for the fiftieth time. I heard her teeth crash together in a bid for keeping her temper. She leaned in real close to my ear, and despite myself I felt a little warmer.

"Okay, usually I'd be all nice and sympathetic, but you're seriously wearing my patience thin here, so listen to me when I say this." She growled at me. I couldn't do anything but nod; she was dangerously close to screaming at me then ripping my head off. She leaned in even closer, practically brushing her face against my neck. I waited, my breathing getting a little messed (which was really out of whack, considering the current situation.) "Suck it up!"

It took me a second to register her words. I sagged, though I knew I deserved that. I pressed my lips together and resolved not to make another sound.

"OW!" I yelled a second later, breaking my promise. It freaking _hurt_. Sonny sighed impatiently. Girl's a saint, but even she had her limits; she started to get up.

"One more time, please?" I found myself asking. After viciously giving me other suggestions, she conceded. I listened, trying to follow her commands, until she was satisfied.

"Three... two..." I braced myself. "ONE!" She shoved once more, and there was a bizarre, uncomfortable sensation and a loud crunching sound. I didn't much care at the time however; there was something much more important to be said.

"OW WW, DAMMIT!" Sonny slapped me up the head, but I didn't care.

"Just be grateful I fixed it, Pooper, or else it would be me dragging _you_ to the hospital this time!" Sonny snapped. Now that the sharp pain was fading a little, I managed to conjure up a grateful smile for my best friend. I stood up, rolling my shoulder, which hurt. But not nearly as much as it _had_ been hurting, so that was okay.

"Miss Munroe, how can I ever thank you for um... un-dislocating my shoulder?" I bantered, grinning at her as I stumbled over the incorrect terminology. Sonny smirked evilly at me, and I gulped.

"I'll have to think about that one." She said sweetly. I gulped again, but bowed politely at her.

"I must bid you adieu then, Miss." I said easily, despite the feeling that my best friend was going to screw me over. The way only best friends can, of course. Sonny saluted me, her smirk even huger. I made to move away, and bumped into the blonde wonder (snort) Tawni.

"Oh, sorry." I said automatically- before realizing my slip, and slamming my hand over my mouth. Tawni's eyebrows, already high on her forehead, rose ever further.

I'd only taken a few more steps when Sonny called after me.

"Chad!"

"...What?" I replied, turning and immediately feeling nervous at her evil grin. And I also felt, for some reason, the need to stare at the ground and shuffle my feet, but my eyes wouldn't quite move away from her.

"I want you to be polite to everyone you see. Like mega-watt, 'can I help you, Miss?' polite." She smiled. I sighed. I really should've argued, but... well, with her looking at me like that, I couldn't manage my thoughts for long enough. Strange...

"How long?" I grunted. She grinned hugely.

"Since you didn't kick up a fuss; forty eight hours."

"Gee. Thanks, Mu- Miss Munroe. Thank you very much. Pleasure." I mumbled, changing my sarcastic tone mid-sentence and tipping an imaginary hat at her. I passed by Tawni again, who seemed to have moved.

"'Scuse me, Miss Hart." I said, letting her pass me rather than shoving past. Tawni smirked at me.

Great. Sonny definitely wasn't going to be the only one taking advantage of this.

_D/I/K/Y_

"Yo, Pooper, how's Jeff?" I sighed. Ever since everyone had caught on to Sonny's little plan, I'd been getting ridiculous things said to me. I didn't really mind; but having to respond nicely was freaking _hard_. Then again, it was basically just like being at a family gathering, and having a deal with my mom that involved me being polite to my annoying relatives.

"Holly? I'm sure she's fine." I replied in a monotone. Devon exploded in laughter anyway, and I rolled my eyes. Nico and Tawni joined in, giggling and laughing like idiots. I wondered vaguely when Nico would man up and just ask the girl out; he'd been dancing around her ever since So Random had started, a few months after I'd moved to Hollywood. It had been a nice, amusing distraction, then, watching him watch her while she smiled back obliviously.

"Look, if it means so much to you; if we visit Texas while on this thing, I'll drag Holly out and get her to meet you all. Seriously. She's my older cousin, not my creepy boyfriend." Holly would love that. She loved people, in general, and she loved meeting famous people and asking them awkward questions in front of the camera. It amused her.

I turned away, pretending not to see Devon's mouth open for a smart ass comment.

"Thanks for this, Munroe!" I called over at Sonny. She smiled sweetly and blew me a kiss. Marta shot her a venomous glare, which Sonny pointedly ignored.

I pulled my phone out quickly, grinning as a plan came into my head.

_**To: Mall Mart**_

_**From: You**_

_Yo, Marta, you're not my girlfriend, so go away, kay? _

I waited, smirking, and was rewarded with a shriek of indignation. She stormed over to me.

"You _will_ be mine." She growled. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, I highly doubt that!" I laughed. She glared at me, then stormed out, her high heels clicking loudly against the floor.

I sniggered to myself. Devon held his fist up for a fist pound, and I raised an eyebrow.

"No, way, man. I mean, no thanks." I corrected myself boredly, before turning and walking out of the park, across the stuffy street and into the nearest café. We'd been sitting in the park, as a group, and just hanging. Jenny had said we'd needed to spend time together as a group as well as bonding with our partners.

I wasn't surprised when I turned to see Sonny behind me.

"Hey." I muttered. She smiled at me, and I continued over to the counter.

"May I help you?" The blonde at the counter said, batting her eyelashes at me flirtatiously and making me slightly uncomfortable.

"Uh, yeah. Can I have an espresso shot and..." I glanced at Sonny. "A caramel mocha with cream, please?"

"Sure." The waitress chick said too sweetly. I waited until she turned to get our drinks before rolling my eyes and hitting my forehead in exasperation.

"Remind me to start carrying sunglasses and a hat." I groaned to Sonny. She giggled.

"Why? Wouldn't wanna mess up that hair, would we?" She said, reaching up to muss my hair. I caught her wrist before she could reach though.

"Now, none of that." I grinned at her expression. After a few seconds, our stare down was interrupted by counter-lady clearing her throat. Glancing sideways, I dropped Sonny's wrist like it had burned me. It genuinely felt like it had.

I paid counter woman quickly, and carried our coffees over to a table. Sonny slid into the booth opposite me, smiling in a way which made my stomach feel funny. Or, y'know, maybe it was the too-hot coffee I'd just taken too quickly to avoid having to say something and stopping her smiling at me like _that._

"So." Sonny broke the strange silence.

"Soooo..." I said back, staring down at my coffee.

"What's up?" Sonny asked tentatively.

"Nothin'" I said, raising an eyebrow. She stared at me for two seconds, before slamming her palms down on the table.

"Don't talk crap, Chad! Something is freaking well up." She whisper-yelled at me. My stomach dropped. _Uh oh._ I looked at her, afraid to say anything. She took in a shaking breath, and sipped her coffee, reassuring herself.

"I mean." She started, her eyes darkening. "There has to be a story behind your dislocated shoulder, Chad. Please... why are you lying to me?" The unguarded, vulnerable tone her voice took then took me by surprise. I took a huge gulp of my own coffee, not knowing what to say, preparing myself mentally. I wanted to avoid a massacre.

"There's nothing." I said gently, meeting her eyes and trying to look honest. "I just fell, Sonny, really." For a small second, staring at her, I thought I'd gotten away with it.

And then one single tear fell down her cheek.

"Oh- oh- no-" I stuttered, watching as a second tear joined it. "C'mon- don't cry- please- no- don't." I begged, feeling helpless. "C'mon, now, please!"

"I didn't think you would do this." Sonny said shakily, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "I didn't think you would lie to me outright."

"Sonny... I'm not... I'm not lying!" I protested weakly. She continued to shake her head and cry soundlessly.

After a few painful, tearful minutes, she opened her eyes.

"Okay, Chad. I give in. I give _in_, okay? I'll pretend for you. I'll pretend seeing you slowly break in private isn't killing me to watch. I'll pretend I don't know that you're hiding something. I'll pretend... for you." Wiping her cheeks, she took a hurried gulp of coffee.

Her words rang in my mind.

_I'll pretend for you._

**A/N Okay, so there you have it! I hope you LOVED IT. Cos I love making you happy. Cos I love you all!**

**Oh, and also because I'm supposed to be doing coursework, and I'm not, cos I wanted to post this.**

**Seriously; my homework next week; a Physics test and a German test on Monday. A big-worth-20% history coursework and a Geography test on Tuesday, and a piece of Religious Studies coursework due Wednesday- all of which I intend to get done today. *blows hair out of face* I've barely started the history, and I haven't started anything else! Help! Pray for me :)**

**And review! Cos reviews are love, and I love you :)**

**Hannah x**


	50. Stay

**A/N I apologise for the long gap in updating; anyone reading this is probably pretty peeved. I would be too.**

**But this is IMPORTANT.**

**Okay, so I started this story; ANONYMOUS STORIES right?**

**So, I've been uploading some- absolutely, freaking GORGEOUS stories by k.98'PeaceOutSuckas.**

**Today, someone wrote an (anonymous) review, that went like this;**

BeingHannah923,

A new review/comment has been submitted to your story.

Story: Anonymous Stories  
Chapter: 9. AN: k98'PeaceOutSuckas

From: iSarahh ()

Why are your parents so strict? :/ FF's not a bad thing, it's actually good to  
improve your writing skills.

Your parents must be real boring and weird people if they don't even let you  
have an FF/hotmail.

Seriously, if you can't get an account don't get other people to put up your  
fics.

FF is for a person who has an account, if you don't have an account you can  
only read them.

If this doesn't stop, I'm reporting it. You haven't read the rules or  
regulations of properly.  
-

**Right, so I was like; what? I didn't know what to do, what to say. I KNOW 'iSarahh'- she's a freaking good friend, and I count her as a FANFICTION SISTER. As a sister. More about this later.**

**Twenty minutes later, I got two more reviews. They went like this.**

From: k.98'PeaceOutSuckas ()

I just read iSarah's review and it pains me to say but she's right.

I want this to stop. Hannah, I don't want you to post any other of my stories.  
You've done enough for me already.

I don't want you to keep doing things for me.

Maybe I have to stop this. I'm only being an obstacle.

I get it, iSarah. I get your point but, please I'm begging you. You shouldn't  
talk about my parents like that. They never did anything to you. And just  
because I don't have a FF account it doesn't mean they are boring. Neither  
weird. They are my parents and I love thm with all my heart.

I don't care if they don't let me have a FF account, okay? I don't  
freakin'care. Do whatever you want. Report this, I don't care. It was my fault  
in the first place. Hannah did nothing wrong.

But I'm telling you, you have no right to judge them. You don't even know  
them, okay. I prefer not having an account rather than getting back home at  
past midnight, having a new boyfriend for every month, getting drunk, being  
WAY TOO social. But I'm just telling you, you can't talk about my family about  
that, okay? If you love your family as much as I do, then you should know jow  
much our words hurt me.

I'm not trying to make you feel pity for me, but you made me cry. You hurt me,  
iSarah, and if you're happy about it, then I dunno what to say.

I never meant to be rude at you. I supported you. I reviewed your stories. I  
actually thiught you were pretty cool. But now, your words just proved me one  
thing; you don't show any respect towards other people's feelings. Unless you  
like making people cry.

Call me what ever you wannt. Tell me that I'm taking advantage of someone,  
even though I'm not. Call me whatever crap you want but do NOT freakin'g  
critize my parents. Unless you were a prent in other life.

Which I'm guessing you weren't so, let me put this up straightly. DO. NOT.  
TALK. ABOUT. MY. FAMILY. LIKE. THAT. Okay?

Hannah, I want you to delete this, please. I don't want this thing to go on  
any longer, okay? Please do as I please. Once again, I can never pay you  
back. But if this thing brings my parents into it then I want ti to stop.

NOW.

I won't be letting people judge my family, even thought they don't freaking  
know tham at all, okay?

And maybe I should just stop reviewing. If that waht people think of me. I  
fthey believe that I can only take advantage of peopl and nothing more, then  
I'm out. And I'm not doing this because I'm a chicken.

It's just, for the best.

So, I guess this is the last you hear from me. I really do love you Hannah and  
remember even if I'm not there to reivew, I will always read your stories,  
okay?

Don't you EVER forget that. And I'm sure as HELL I will never forget you. Tell  
Amy, bye from me, okay? And tell her to keep it up, okay?

Goodbye, Hannah. You were the best friend I could ever have. I will never  
forget you. Neither you, nor Amy. You guys will always be in my heart.

Forever...Together...

Becuase my heart knows and I will NEVER forget.

**And**

From: k.98'PeaceOutSuckas ()

Oh, and please don't go all mad at iSarah. She just pointed out the truth. I  
shouldn't be allowing you to do that. And the fact that she insulted me, has  
nothing to do with you, okay?

I was the one the insults where pointed at and I don't wanna start a batttle  
field because of that. I've messed it up enough all ready.

**If the FREAKING MESS wasn't big enough already, I then got this;**

From: TheSarahStar () **(also known as iSarahh)**

Hi, its me. Yep, I'm using my twitter name in this anonymous review  
because... Oh my beeping pasta. I saw your tweet, so I decided to have a  
look...and who the beeping beep had the beeping nerve to beeping use my name  
in a beeping anonymous review to beeping destroy this? I feel hacked. I feel  
beeping HACKED. I swear, I would never do that, k.98'PeaceOutSuckas is an  
amazing writer and I'm not such a horrible person. And some beeping beephead  
used my name, of all the names on this site there are... I am seriously  
punching walls right now. Literally, my fist hurts because I've punched the  
wall three times. I can't believe this. D':  
-

**So, I am SINCERELY freaking OUT right now.**

**And my amazing, amazing **k.98'PeaceOutSuckas; **here are some reviews I also got.**

From: zarachannylover101 ( .net/u/2895646/ )  
Reply URL: .?rwid=137325920

No, no, you can't stop this. I talk to Sarah every single day and she's  
amazing and kind, I don't think she would be the type of person to write all  
that.

It's your choice if you want to stop, but I seriously think that this is  
someone else playing a sick minded joke. Sarah's one of the most kindest  
people I talk to.  
-

**And**

From: ( .net/u/2388689/ )  
Reply URL: .?rwid=137326468

Dear k.98'PeaceOutSuckas

I know I haven't talked to you or anything, but I heard about what you're  
going to do. Please don't go. I don't know if you know, but Hannah is  
seriously heartbroken. And after reading your decision, so am I. So many  
people love you, your reviews make many happy, you shouldnt leave. You're  
important to many, I know you're loved so I beg to you as well , please think  
about it.

I don't want to pressurize you, I just wanted you to rethink it through.

Love and peace.  
-

**So I guess what I'm saying is...**

k.98'PeaceOutSuckas;

**I love you. You are an amazing, amazing person; and whoever the flip this iSarahh impersonator; he/she is WRONG. You are _not_ an obstacle, you're not breaking any rules.**

**Gosh, my hands are shaking so bad right now; Nushie is trying to help me hold it together. And Sarah; oh, gosh. YOU FREAKING IMPERSONATOR. How do you think she feels, huh? *punches wall***

**So, **k.98'PeaceOutSuckas**; I'm begging you here; don't stop writing. Don't stop reviewing. And don't be hurt. 'iSarahh' had no right; she hurt you, and that freaking p*ssed me off. She had no right to say what she said; she was WRONG. I checked through the rules, and we were **_**not**_** breaking them.**

**And I wanna read your reviews, I wanna 'hear' your voice. **

**I know that he/she hurt you; hell, she hurt me, and Sarah, and Zara, and Nushie, and whoever the freak else reads your amazing stories. **

**As a whole; we're asking you to reconsider. Please. I know you said you'd still be reading; so please, please read this. Please, keep blessing us with your words and your freaking self.**

**Zara told me to tell you; your stories are amazing and to rethink this.**

**Oh, Argie; please. I am BEGGING you, down on my knees and crying real tears and wanting to see you more than ever before; please, please reconsider. Please. **

**And 'iSarahh'? You... there's not even words. I can't even find it in myself to hate you.**

**It hurts too much.**

**Argie... I love you. So much.**

**Please.**

**Oh, please...**

**I can't force you to stay. I can't force you to do anything. But you're one of my best friends. I just wanna say; if you choose to stop writing, if you choose to read but not review...**

**I don't blame you. If it happened to me, I don't think I'd have the strength.**

**But I can't find it in me to be mature. I can't find it in me to let go. I support whatever decision you make, though.**

**I'm pleading, one more time; stay.**

**Peace out suckas, Regardless 4ever, Locve ya, !~!**

**Love,  
Hannah xo**


	51. Scrap of Paper

**A/N Yes, there is a VERY short chap buried underneath this very long author's note! But...**

k.98'PeaceOutSuckas; **honey, I won't lie; I am freaking thrilled to see you back. There's just one missing piece...**

**Listen up, Argyri! You're family- and this family? It works both ways. We don't expect you to be over your pain like that- *clicks fingers*- we just want you to know that we're _always _here for you, the way you are for us. We're all sisters here, and damn, if you're in pain- we're here for you, every one of us. You love us, but remember- we love you too. This whole mess- not you're fault. Don't blame yourself! There's only one person to blame here- 'iSarahh'. SHE is the one that threw the spanner in the works, SHE is the one with the cruel words, and SHE is the one who tried to break our family. And you know what? We're STRONGER than that.**

**So, honey- I'm glad you're back. *hugs the living daylights out of you* But don't ever, ever, EVER try and change for us. We love you how you are- if you're in pain- don't ignore it. Tell us about it. Let it out. Let us try and help. Because, we're a FAMILY. This is life. There's always gonna be hard times- tears, hate, heartbreak- but that's what makes us stronger. You don't HAVE to be over this. Heck, WE aren't even over this. **

**But we love you, Argie. So much. **

**And we made you cry too. Heck, we cried and you cried and it hurt us all. But sticking together? We can get through this- one step at a time. And as long as you know- I'm sorry. Oh, gosh, I am _so_ sorry. I'm sorry that YOU got hurt. I'm an overprotective grumpy little girl, and I want to be strong enough for you to lean on in this tough time. I'm praying for you, girl :D**

*deep breath*

**Wasn't that a lovely chappie intro? This one- is a short chappie, yeah. But it's dedicated to the amazing, amazing **k.98'PeaceOutSuckas**, because she's awesome. And she doesn't deserve the crap 'iSarahh' threw at her. This is my way to try and make things better :)**

**Enjoy, every one of you- but especially you, Argie!**

**And other people who aren't Argie- my amazing readers and reviewers. I hope I haven't scared you off with the angsty melt-down that has been my- our- lives the past chapter or so. Ha.**

[The Real, aka 3rd attempt at]

Chapter 50

Scrap of Paper

emulate

I choked down my coffee as fast as I could. I needed to talk to someone who... wasn't Chad. My heart felt like it was pumping lead around my veins, rather than blood. Thick. Slow. Painful.

But worth it, right?

_Wrong._

As I finished my coffee, I threw a five at my friend, and slid out of the booth as rapidly as I could. Today was a lazy day we were meant to spend with our partners **[*] **but I fully planned to spend it up in my room, hugging my pillow and wondering how and why life got so messy.

As soon as I reached the hotel lobby, I realized I still had a styrofoam cup clutched in my hand.

"That's pointless," I muttered.

I turned towards the bin, and as I threw the cup in something caught my eye. I stooped down to pick it up.

I smoothed the single piece of paper, and it was a note. I read it through, and my hand flew to my mouth.

"Oh, my word..."

_D/I/K/Y_

**CPOV**

I knew Sonny was anxious to get away from me. I'd lied to her. I was continuing to lie to her. And it wasn't fair.

I didn't blame her.

But it still hurt.

I floated through the day, numb, unseeing, and wondering how I could ever fix the latest mess. I always made a mess of the ones I loved. But why _now_?

I was fully expecting Sonny to be ignoring me. And she did.

Which is why I was taken by surprise so when, when I was sitting on a bench in a small abandoned-looking park, she sat down silently beside me, put her head on my shoulder and started to cry.

"Sonny...?" I whispered, because I could feel that something was really going on now. Her tears continued to flow silently as she turned to look at me.

"Chad..."

I waited, the suspense painful and my heart hammering.

"What is this?" She held out a small scrap of paper. My stomach sank, as I took in the words on the paper. Adrenaline rushed through my veins.

_No_. This couldn't be happening!

But it was.

I pulled the shredded piece of paper from my best friend's fingertips. A part of Charles' latest letter.

"Sonny! I can explain..."

Except that I couldn't.

**A/N DUN DUN DUNN! Oh no! What will he say?**

**I am SO sorry for the amount of time this chapter took, especially when its soooo short! But I've been swamped with homework, the drama explained in the last chapter, and just plain writer's block. Forgive me?**

**Here's some bad news... I'm going to the caravan (in like, the next couple of minutes) and I won't be back til Saturday... So no updates between now and then! I won't be able to reply to reviews either :(**

**So... if you liked it, and want Chad to confess... you know what to do...**

**REVIEW!**

**Cos reviews are love, and there's not enough love around!**

**Hannah xo**

**PS I LOVE Y'ALL!**


	52. Comfortless

**A/N Hello! Its me! And yeah... I got back from my trip Saturday *hangs head in shame* but I gave you a one-shot! [Sleepless- check it out if you haven't already!] Does that make up for the delay...? ;)**

**Anyhoo, shoutouts to anonymous reviewers Starr and Lulu! Your reviews were lovely, really made me smile :)**

**k.98'PeaceOutSuckas- hey ;) yes, this is late... but I didn't receive any threats though! ;) (btw... my friend was stalking my reviews while I was away and texted me about that... it made me chuckle ;)) In answer to your review on Sleepless- I was wondering if someone would notice that ;) where did he kiss her? *taps nose secretively* that whole thang shall be explored HERE, later on :D (just remind me, kay? Kay :D) oh, all the best for your History test tomorrow! (or I guess it was today... -_-) Love you!**

**Here we goes ;)**

Chapter 51

Comfort(less)

CPOV

"Chad..." Sonny's eyes were filled with tears. "Why didn't you tell me?" My throat felt strangely thick, and I hadn't come up with an explanation for her yet. "No wonder you're freaking out, if Charles is writing you letters! Oh, honey!" I was surprised by her gushing- she hadn't acted so, um, mother-duckling-y since her dad had died. I looked down, emotionless, at the little piece of paper in her hand.

"_...punishment should be with you in Oregon soon._

_Dad,"_

I assessed the situation in my head, careful to keep my expression as neutral as possible. Sonny did _not_ know that she, my sisters and my mother were being threatened. She also did not know that this wasn't the first time Charles had threatened and punished me.

I felt a swash of relief, followed quickly by irritation. Why couldn't life be fair?

"Chad? Chad? CHAD!" Sonny called, snapping me out of my head. I was suddenly aware of her waving a hand in front of my face.

"Sorry." I said in a small voice.

"Chad... if he's scaring you..." Sonny said seriously, putting her hand on mine. "Don't... don't worry, okay? He's playing with you. He can't touch you Chad, its not legal! People don't play with the law like that. Just don't let him get to you, with mind games, Chad. Please, honey. Take a breath, step back, and remember that your mom would beat the life out of anyone who came close to hurting her baby." She teased, trying to lighten the heavy tension in the air.

It didn't work.

"Mind games... yeah." I said, taking a deep breath and straightening my back." The worried expression intensified on her face.

"He's evil, Sonny..." The sentence crossed my mouth before I could stop it.

And that, is how I ended up with my tiny little best friend wrapping her arms around me in a very public place, in an attempt to comfort me for a lie, and making me feel a whole lot guiltier. I remained stiff, not wanting to give myself away. Bursting into tears wouldn't help _anything_.

She pulled away as fast as she'd closed in, piling her hands into her lap awkwardly. She twined some hair around her fingers, a nervous habit.

"Sorry." She apologised in a low voice, glancing around. Stupid paparazzi. For a second I thought I could feel something.

"Just... chill, okay? Can you do that for me?"

No.

"Sure!"

She was eyeballing me though, so I slid a few inches away apprehensively.

"Be honest with me, please." She mumbled, making her eyes all big which was totally unfair of her.

"I'm fine. Just a little freaked- you're right, I need to get him out of my head. I mean, he can't touch me here, right?" The lies flowed easily through my teeth, and for once, she actually looked appeased.

"That's right," She agreed, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

And then she jabbed me in the stomach.

"OUCH!"

Well, this wasn't going to end well.

**A/N Sorry in a rush better chap next time!**

**Hannah xo**


	53. PapapapaPaparazzi

**A/N Hello! Yes... it's me... remember me? The crazy ginger kid who writes this story and author's notes that are way too long? Yep, mm hm. ME :D**

**I am SO SOOO sorry for the delay! Ahhh! *head desk* I've just been... so... STRESSED. If anyone read DisasterGirl, and the following A/N... well, you'll have heard some of that. And I've had TONS of schoolwork (ugh), and over the weekend I was at GB camp. (Which rocked. But I was 'shamed cos I hadn't updated...) So... Imma write a BIG SUPER LONG CHAPTER now. No, seriously. I'm aiming for at least 3,000 words. Y'all deserve it!**

**Shoutouts too... the amazing MusicChannySkyscraper, MrB.o.B1990, MiiMyselfandTime, past decembers, and k.98'PeaceOutSuckas, for freaking out and fussing over me and making me feel so loved it was overwhelming! My fanmily support system, haha. I *HEART* you guys :D **

**And special shoutouts to KitKattheGreat123 (my real life bestie whom I love) for FINALLY reading this, reviewing EVERY chap, and kicking my lazy butt into shape and ordering me to get started on this chapter xD Oh, and for being awesome. Muh, muh, muh! \|/**

**And to everyone else who takes the time to read and review this story... whether you love it, hate it, anticipate it... Thank you. Thank you for making this girl's dreams start to come true. I love you :')**

**And a warning; one instance of bad language ahead. Maybe not to all of you, but it is to me.**

Chapter 52

Papa – Papa – Paparazzi!

[alt. Twists and Turns]

CPOV

"OUCH!" I yelled before I could stop myself, my hands going automatically to protect the sensitive skin of my stomach. Sonny raised her eyebrows at me and I held my breath, waiting to see which way her reaction would go.

"Wuss." She commented nonchalantly. I breathed out silently, grateful she hadn't demanded to see what had hurt so much. I didn't know if I could explain away the bruises patterning my stomach if she caught a sight. The scence would be... ugly... to say the least.

Sonny bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder. "I should go." She said gently. I nodded, forcing a smile at her.

Giving me her special, over-gentle I-see-right-through-you smile, she patted my hand, and then leaned over to give me a quick hug.

And as she stood up, the bright white flash gave it all away.

"Oh, _fabulous_." I heard Sonny mutter.

SPOV

A stick thin woman, with a v-necked shirt angled so that she practically shoved her surgically-enlarged chest into my face, waved a huge puffy microphone at me.

"Sonny Munroe!" She yelled, breathless. I forced a poker face and surveyed her silently. Short skirt, caked with make-up, and stiff with surgery. My nose wrinkled in distaste. How much Botox could one person possibly get?

She breathed heavily, still waving the mic. "What... is... your... relationship... to... Chad Dylan... _Cooper_?" She puffed out. I raised an eyebrow, panicking with a calm face.

I had _never_ done this before. A wave of panic overwhelmed me, and grew stronger as the paparazzi pressed in from each side.

"Um..." I said, my eyes flickering from eager faces to stoic faces to just plain mad, 'I-need-a-story-or-I'll-get-fired!' faces. I crossed my arms behind my back, my finger nails digging into exposed skin. "Ah... I... um..." I stuttered, sending a look at Chad, pleading for help. He wasn't frozen, like I was, but just had a face that translated to...

"Oh. Crap."

"Well... I'm... ah..." I began again, backing away carefully. To my despair, they inched after me.

"Is it true you're in love with him?" Another, less made-up but equally annoying woman pressed. "Have you slept with him?"

... what?

"WHAT?" I screamed, finally finding my voice.

"That's what I was thinking." Chad chimed in weakly. I shoved my hands in my back pockets to keep from grabbing his. I stuttered in shock for a few minutes, my mind coming up blank in the presence of demanding, expecting faces.

This was _nothing_ like a studio audience.

I was terrified.

"Um... we're... um..." I trailed off.

"Fre... enemies?" Chad stuttered out suddenly. Wasn't he supposed to be like, experienced at this? Way to wimp out on me!

"Yeah, _frenemies. _That's us!" I heard myself say perkily. Thank you, weeks at So Random!

"I mean..." Chad said uncertainly to the shocked, starving expressions. "We're obviously not going out. Ew. And we haven't... done that." He muttered, looking faintly nauseated.

"First off, we're enemies, right?... and sometimes, we act more like friends than enemies. But... we're _not_. Nope. So... frenemies... it's a mash-up word, see?" I picked up for him, feeling slightly pleased with myself. Sonny: 1 Paparazzi: 2

But still.

"But you like each other right?" Slutty-shirt woman pressed. I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

"No." I said firmly. Chad shook his head silently.

"What about all the rumours going around though? Can you confirm or deny anything?" She prattled, starting to get in my face again. I smelled a distinct whiff of too-strong Hollister perfume. **(yes, I personally have something against Hollister. It's... ugh. The brand in itself is a pet peeve of mine. Don't be offended if you like them, please...) **and I nearly fainted. Ew.

"I don't know about any rumours." Chad said neutrally.

"Honestly?" I began slowly. "I keep as far away from magazines and rumours as I can. I don't want to ruin some of my views, and the way I look at people because of something churned out in a gossip machine."

Slut-face nodded seriously, although she clearly didn't believe me.

"Of course. And what about the rumours that you were bullied in high school, Sonny?"

CPOV

Sonny's eyes widened. "I- I'm-" She stuttered. My stomach dropped.

'_Deny it!'_ I pleaded silently. '_Please..._'

Her expression smoothed out, her eyes almost blank.

"No comment." She said flatly.

_D/I/K/Y_

She hadn't been bullied, had she? Now my head was spinning, with two little words and an expression, and my stomach dropped further as Sonny turned on her heel and stormed away. I shook my head to clear it, before turning to the paparazzi. I glared at their now hungry expressions; Sonny had given them something, just a small taste, and I was horribly sure they'd be after her now. I remembered my first big mistake, Hollywood style faux-pas...

_Flashback;_

_*December 8th, 2006*_

"_Hey, Chad!" One of my new castmates called. I risked a glance at the blonde girl, a smile making its way onto my face._

"_Hi, Mel." I said shyly. She sat beside me causally, a perky smile making its way to her face. She was really pretty. She shook her hair out of her face gently. I stared at her._

"_So, Chad. How are you?" She asked._

"_Fine?" It came out as a question._

"_I'm glad." She said, smiling sincerely. I felt a strange fluttering in my stomach and glanced downwards to see just what was going on. Nothing I could see. Huh. A small warm hand touched mine and I jumped, looking up, suddenly hopeful._

_Green eyes met mine. Green. Not brown. _

_I forced a smile, hoping Melissa hadn't noticed the disappointment on my face._

"_Are you sure you're ok?" She asked, a frown settling on her features._

_No._

"_Yeah, of course." I laughed. Mel bit her lip, twirling a strand of light hair around her finger and still not removing her hand from on top of mine. I sighed._

"_Do you like it here, Chad?" Her question caught me off guard._

"_I guess." I said unconvincingly. Mel waited, and I breathed out in a gust. "No, okay? Honestly? I hate it. I want to go home." My voice caught on the last word, and Mel squeezed my hand gently._

"_Why?" She asked simply._

"_I never wanted to move." The truth was pouring out now, and warnings screamed far in the back of my mind. "It was my mom, really. When the offer came through we made a grab. Nothing planned, just grabbed a bag and got gone. I didn't want to go, but my mom needed the out. But I hate it here!" I snapped in frustration. "I miss my house and my friends and everything I love." I stared straight ahead hopelessly, past noticing that Mel stood quietly, squeezing my hand once more before she left._

_..._

_It made the headlines the next day._

"_**MOTHER FROM HELL!"**_

"In a shocking new twist today, the story behind the hit new show _MacKenzie Falls' _lead actor is revealed!

Chad Dylan, at just thirteen, has already wowed audiences around the world with his acting and his charm- especially considering he was born and raised in Middleton, Texas, with no previous acting experience- and absolutely no intention of becoming an actor. So many of us wondered- what lead the talent here?

A source close to Dylan came to us last night with the answer.

"It's horrible." They said. "He finally told me the story today. He's so sad! His mom... I've never met her. But she sounds terrible! She forced him into acting. She wanted to run away from the town, and her talented son presented the perfect opportunity.

I feel so bad for him. Its obvious she's got her claws in pretty deep,"

_**So, what's a kid to do? Is Chad really safe? **_

_**And is Julia really fit to be a mother?**_

_My hands were shaking as I read that last sentence. Trembling, I threw the paper away from me, and shot out of my dressing room. I knocked Katrina out of the way, and skidded into Melissa._

_Fury swept through me, unexpectedly strong and demanding._

"_YOU!" I screamed at her. "You BITCH!"_

"_Chad-"_

"_Don't touch me! GET AWAY FROM ME!"_

_She reached out to touch me again._

_And I did something unthinkable._

_I slapped her hand away from me. Hard._

"_I said, GET **AWAY** FROM ME!" _

_And before anyone could stop me, I ran away._

_Fast._

_..._

_I got myself home, somehow. The apartment smarmy Charlie was 'graciously' letting us stay in was near the studios. I ran right up to the door, then stopped, running a hand through my hair and taking a deep breath. I opened the door tentatively._

_My sister's shocked faces met my eyes._

"_Guys... I swear... I never..." Hayley just stared at me, her twelve year old mind uncomprehending. But I felt another gaze boring into my shoulder._

_I turned around, and was met by my mom's gaze. Hurt. Betrayed._

_The look on her face sent agony through me._

"_I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry..."_

_..._

_My mom called my agent a few hours later._

"_We need a cover story." She said firmly. I wept and pleaded and threw hissy fits, but a week later, full of prep and acting guidance, I stepped into the studios, sunglasses covering my face._

_The bad boy had been born._

_*Flashback ends*_

"Mr Cooper? Mr Cooper!" The cake-faced woman hit me none-too-gently over the head with a microphone.

"Ouch!" I snapped, shaking my head and flicking my fringe into my eyes.

"What do you think of Sonny's behaviour, Mr Cooper?" I looked straight at her, meeting her eyes.

"I don't." I said shortly. And then I walked away too.

_D/I/K/Y_

SPOV

I bit my thumbnail, staring at the screen of my phone, unsure what to do.

_1 new messages from: Amy_

_6 missed calls from: Blake_

_4 new messages from: Blake_

I flipped through all but one message. "I can't _take_ this!" I moaned to myself, flopping face first onto my bed, burying my face into the pillows.

I needed some normalcy.

I dialled speed dial.

_Ring... Ring..._

"Hello?"

"SONNY!" I giggled.

"LUCY!" My closest girlfriend squealed down the phone at me, throwing questions at me too fast for me to answer them.

"How's Hollywood? And Chad? That asshat! Ohhh, and did you hear from Blake? OHH, and what about the paparazzi? Are they overwhelming? And your SHOW! Oh my GOSH, Sonny, it just _blows my mind_! Jeez, I can_not_ believe you write it yourselves! No, I refuse to believe it. Nuh uh. It's just too _good_!" She took a breath.

"Lucy, I-"

"Oh, and your cast? How are they? Does Grady still have a crush on you? Is Nico still girlfriendless? Is Tawni still obviously staring at him? OHH, and is Zora still as weird ass? Oh, my GOSH, you awe-some best friend, you do NOT call me enough!"

"Lucy-"

"Oh, and Aaron's amazing! I sooo want him to ask me out! Why hasn't he asked me out yet? He's sooo sweet and sooo amazing and you'd _sooo_ love him! Oh, my gosh! And you'll never guess what happened the other-"

"LUCY!" I yelled, laughing as I interupted her.

"Yes, best friend-oo dear?" She said sweetly. I laughed even harder.

"Oh, I have _missed_ you! You're so... well, not normal... But... _Lucy-_like. Everyone here is so Hollywood! Okay, not _everyone_, but I'm a little overwhelmed at the minute."

"Ohhh? Really, why?" She asked, and I could just picture lying on her stomach, ankles crossed behind her head and twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

"You'll _never_ guess!" I snickered.

"Pffft. I've known you all my life, Sonny." I could sense her pouting.

"Go on and guess then!"

"Hmmm... a really cute guy asked you out?"

"I wish! No, guess again!" I'd forgotten how much I _missed_ Lucy. It had been too long since I'd actually seen her, face-to-face.

"Um... a hot movie star director dude cast you as the lead in his new movie?" She sniggered, only partly joking. She was more star-struck with Hollywood than I was!

"Nada. Sadly. Then again... most directors are either too old but attractive, or the right age but kinda hideous. I wouldn't go out with some old guy!"

"Even if he was attractive?" Lucy pressed, pretending to be serious.

"Nope!"

"Not even if he was really, _really_ mind-blowing-ly hot?"

"Nope! Lu, let's be honest, if he was old, mind-blowing-ly hot and single, he'd be gay." I said matter-of-factly. Lucy made a spluttering noise which made me sure she'd begun choking on air when she started to laugh.

"LUCY! Deep breaths, in, out, in out!" I said mock-commandingly. She made a loud show of breathing heavily.

"_Lucy West! What on earth are you doing?"_ I heard Mrs. West yell. I smothered my own giggles.

"Nothing, Mom!" I heard Mrs West yell back, and Lucy sighed loudly. "_Mothers_. Anyhoodle, Sallison, what _did_ happen to get you all overwhelmed and banter-y?" She asked. I opened my mouth to answer, when I thought of something.

"Did you just call me _Sallison?_"

"Yup!"

"Um... why?"

"We-ell, it's like a combo between Sonny and Allison, cos it's confuzzling to go from one to the other!" She said matter-of-factly, before bursting into another round of giggles.

"Lucy West, are you on a sugar high?"

"_May_-be!" I snorted.

"Dinky doughnuts?" (**Amy!)**

"Dinky doughnuts." Lucy confirmed seriously. "Now, come on, tell meh, tell meh, tell meh!" **(Kat... ;D are the unicorns cold? :O)**

"I had my first paparazzi confrontation!"

"NO! Seriously?"

"Seriously!"

"What happened? How'd it go?" I grimaced, although she couldn't see that.

"Just _swell_. About as well as a confrontation with a bunch of overly-nosey people who can publicly humiliate you could go, I suppose." She sighed sympathetically. I explained to her the whole paparazzi debacle- including the fact that Chad had been there, excluding the comment about me being- bullied.

"Well, it sounds like Chad was all kinds of useless." Lucy scoffed. "Wonder what she did to him after you stormed away?" She asked vaguely, referring to the stick-thin woman we had officially dubbed as 'Slut-Face.' I felt a stab of guilt, but pushed it away firmly.

"He's a big boy, I'm sure he handled himself just fine. It was hardly his first experience with them. He's been here nearly four years."

"'Course." Lucy said lightly. Soon, we turned to talking about school and everything she'd been up to since I'd left. I got a pretty serious grilling about Chad, too.

"Does he really deserve you as a friend?" Lucy fumed some while later.

"Of course." I said indignantly. "He may have done some stupid stuff, but he has his reasons."

"Like what?"

Oops.

"I don't wanna talk about it." I said uncomfortably.

"Seriously?" Lucy exclaimed, disbelieving. "Come on, Son, its _me_!"

"And this is me, Luce. Just leave it be, please?"

"Fine." She mumbled with great reluctance.

"Thanks."

We said goodbye soon after that. I sank back into my mattress, exhausted. The pain in my wrist flared up, and I rolled over and dug around my bag for my painkillers. I squinted at the dosage. Meh. Had I gone over it? I rubbed my forehead, and shook a tablet out and popped it dry.

Not much better... but better!

...

"Allie? ALLIE!" I felt myself being shaken awake. I opened my bleary eyes to see a pair of blue-green eyes staring at me in alarm. "ALLIE!" She yelled. I sat up, groaning. My head was pounding worse than ever.

"Jeez, how many of these did you take?" Chastity asked, looking me over with some concern, which disconcerted my already disoriented brain.

"How many wha-at?" I half yawned. She threw a small bottle on my stomach. I lifted it with heavy hands. Two words imprinted themselves on my brain.

_Sleeping tablets._

"What the heck..?" I mumbled, still drowsy. "Not mine, Chasi'y." I yawned again. "I took some... mmh... painkillers. I don't have sleepin' pills." I assured her.

Chastity's voice shook. "Then we have a situation on our hands."

_D/I/K/Y_

"I've been asleep for _how long_?" I exclaimed, sure I'd heard her wrong.

"Twelve. Hours." Tawni told me firmly. Chastity's bomb had helped me wake off some of the drowsiness. But I was suddenly sure sleep was still befuddling me.

"No way." I shook my head. "I just lay back, mid-afternoon, and called my best girlfriend, took some painkillers and..." I gestured helplessly.

"Fell asleep." Nico finished. After her realization, me and Chastity had run down to the lobby, where everyone was meeting before breakfast.

"Who would do that, though? Who would smuggle sleeping pills into my bag...?" I asked, scared. Not many things scared me. Being late? Nah. Hollywood? Honestly, not that much. Someone smuggling stuff to knock me out into my own bag? Well, yeah.

"The scariest thing is... what if Allie had taken more? I mean, she took, like one or two right? And she was totally out for the count for twelve hours. What if it had been three or four, or more?"

"If she took more than four, she'd be knocked into a coma." Chad's voice joined the conversation casually. I glanced at him. He appeared totally relaxed, but I could see how pale he was.

"And Sonny... that means whoever this is..." He swallowed. "They mean business."

**A/N Okay... that got off track... around when Sonny called Lucy. I started making it up. **

**Did you like it? Did that DRAM-UH and LENGTH make up for delays and previous shortness? :D**

**I hope you all LOVED IT!**

**Soooo review! :D Cos reviews are love! Like sunshine and ice cream! Ohhh :)**

**And I have a request or two- can you please read MrB.o.B1990's new story Sunny Over the Falls pwease? And if you like Twilight or Doctor Who, check out my AWESOME friend KitKattheGreat123's stories- especially the Magic of Television one!**

**LOVE YOUS :D**

**Hannah xo**

**PS Hey anonymous reviewers! You can always review my story :) I welcome all! Like my reviewers randomsmileyperson, Starr, Lulu, and k.98'PeaceOutSuckas :D**


	54. Pills and Confusion Part I

**Er... hi.**

**So. **

**Yeah.**

***dodges mysterious heavy object***

**Yeah, I'm not dead... as mentioned in Sharpies. Last week.**

**GAAAAHHHH. I suck. I know I do. FORGIVE ME! I just... I don't even know. Not only have I been busy, I've been distracted with ideas, for other fics, for my non-fanfiction baby- the first story I ever officially started writing **(yes Kat, you **are** reading that right... Alea's making a big get back in my head ;))**... But all in all, I AM SO SORRY about my lack of updates. I have a big amazing awesome Christmas chapter planned, too... and LESS THAN TWO WEEKS to lay everything out. Darn. *dies***

**Enjoy this, though... Dedicated to my amazing real-life best friend KitKattheGreat123 for giving me a better idea for this chappie and, once again, kicking my lazy arse into shape. You rock, besty friendy! Oh, and poking me out of my procrastination when it comes to actually posting... shtuff. **

**Shoutouts to my freakin' awesome FF family for defending me against the meanie anon :) Y'all make me smile, like, THIS big *spreads arms as wide as possible***

**Oh, and dearest anon with a very rude name? Yeah, you. You? LOL. Yelling swear words and borrowing a South Park catchphrase? I'm sorry, are you going for the pathetic award? Lol :) Honey, I am well aware of those words. I just, to be blunt, have a little too much class to use them like every other word. I did, in fact, point out, that as normal as you find 'bitch', I find it quite offensive. How the flip did you find my story anyway? Enough to read to chapter 54?**

Chapter 53

Pills and Confusion Part I

CPOV

I stared at the pills in her hand. _Pills_. Someone was trying to get to my best friend, and it was serious. I could feel it.

"They mean business." I told her, meeting her eyes and feeling my mouth go dry. Why was this happening? Didn't we have enough on our hands with all the secrets?

Blondie looked at me suddenly. "Chad." She stated, an odd expression on her face. I glanced at her.

"What is it, Blondie? Aren't we focused on the brunette over there at the moment?" I tilted my head at Sonny, afraid to actually _say_ Sonny because it was sure to come out some ridiculously endearing nickname due to my stress, which I'm sure wouldn't go down too well.

Really.

I could see the little traces of panic on my best friend's otherwise calm face. Her eyes tightened as she glanced down at the pills, staring at her own hand like she'd never seen it before.

"Exactly. Just what do you think you're trying to do here, Cooper?" Tawni's tone alerted me, finally, to her mood. I looked at her face and was a little alarmed by the look of pure fury I saw there.

Hm.

Can't say I expected that. Maybe I should have? But why was she mad at me?

"Um, Blondie, hate to break it to you... but I don't know what you're talking about."

She glared at me.

"Oh, of _course_ not. I mean, of course, you pulled it off _flawlessly_. You even look CONCERNED! Oh, _good job_!" Tawni spat. I didn't have the faintest clue what she was talking about, and my telling her that, along with my expression, only served to rile her up further.

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about Pooper." She said in a low voice. It would scare me, but in comparison with Charles it just gave me a chill.

"Tawni, I _don't_!" I argued. Eyebrows may have shot up, but I didn't notice.

"Obviously." She seethed. "It was _you_ who smuggled the pills into Allie's bag."

Deadly silence.

All eyes turned to me, the shocked expressions making me pretty sure they believed her.

"What?" I exclaimed. "How in the- what brought you to- WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THAT?" I yelled, losing it completely.

"Oh, it's obvious." Tawni snorted, her light blue eyes flashing as she flipped her long hair. "You've been being so nice to her lately- nicer than you are to _anyone_. You've been flirty, you've been sweet, and you've been gentlemanly... You've been sucking up, and why? Because, you're AFRAID! You're afraid you're gonna lose your snobby little bad ass reputation and you'll do anything, _anything_ to keep it! I knew you were twisted but I didn't think you'd sink so LOW!"

And the thing was, as she spat and hissed and screamed at me, shaking with fury, I could see that she honestly believed it.

"Tawni- Blondie- that's a load of crap." I stuttered out.

"Oh, is it? C'mon, Chad, give it up! YOU are her partner, YOU have known her the longest, and YOU were with her ALL DAY!" Tawni yelled.

I blinked.

TPOV

I wanted to vomit. I really, really did. That asshat had been sucking up to us, and I'd been starting to trust him. _Trust_ him! This, _this_ is why I don't trust other actors. Even more than that; I'd started to think that... maybe... he was _good_ for her. I'd let my guard slip around my best castmate and one of my biggest rival's, and he'd _drugged_ her! I berated myself for not being able to see it from the start.

"Do you want to know something, you sicko?" I snapped. Chad continued to stare that freaky blank stare of his. "I _trusted_ you! I thought, for a while, that you'd actually be nice to Allie! But no, you and your STUPID REPUTATION made you DRUG her! What exactly, can you tell me... what is WRONG with you?"

"Chad, man." Skylar, to my surprise, spoke up. "Is it true?" Chad's eyes were wide and shocked. I was disgusted. Why couldn't he just 'fess up and come out in the open already?

"No! Sky, man, of course not. I couldn't- I mean, I wouldn't-" I felt a sprout of satisfaction as he seemed to choke on the words.

"It seems you're suffering from a guilty conscience, Chad." Zora said, her eyes wide and her little voice accusing.

"No! I swear to it, no way!" Chad exclaimed, panic shown plainly on his face. For the first time since I'd started ranting, I stopped listening to him and everyone else and focused on Allie.

She was hard to read.

At first, I thought she was as blank looking as Chad. But then I looked a little closer. There was a little frown on her face and as I watched, she started chewing on a hangnail.

Something wasn't quite right.

"Allie? You alright?" She didn't answer me, at first, and I started to say something again, when she shook her head slowly.

"No. Oh, no, no, no, no." She whispered. I was suddenly unsure to whether she'd heard _me_ at all, or if she was just responding to the situation. It could have been either. Her face was ashen.

"Allie...?" I asked, my voice trailing off at the little edge on her otherwise completely white and blank face. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and began to text furiously.

"I DIDN'T DO IT, OKAY?" Chad yelled, catching my attention. Not Allie's, though. Her attention remained firmly placed on the screen of her phone.

"Just give it up!" I snapped at him. He raked his hands through his blonde hair, his eyes, I now noticed, a little wild.

"Why won't you believe me? Any of you?" He asked.

"Because it's obvious!"

Chad's eyes shifted from face to face. We had, somehow, come to circle him. Allie was standing a little outside the circle, her head bent so that her hair hid her face, still texting, her thumbs moving in rapid fire over the screen. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to stand beside me. She glanced up slowly, her eyes blinking rapidly as she slid her phone into her pocket. Their eyes met and something passed between them.

And Chad looked at her. Just looked at her. And his face went totally blank again. Smooth and clear, like a robot. His hands dropped to his sides, although his hair was messed up.

"I can't deal with this right now." He said simply. "This is... this is all too much. I've... I need..."

Eyes wary, he pushed between and past Nico and Skylar, who were staring at him, one with anger, the other with shock.

There was a silence.

"Oh, dear." Chastity said softly.

"He deserved it." I snarled. Allie was clearly having some kind of freak out over the whole thing. I put an arm around her shoulder comfortingly. She didn't appear to notice.

"What is his problem?" Devon asked, I presumed, because of the storming off. There was no way he'd feel a thing about Allie being drugged. He was probably internally _cheering_ Chad for it.

"I don't-" Nico started, but a small voice cut him off.

"You short-circuited him." Allie said matter-of-factly. None of us had noticed her come back from Dream-Land.

"We... what?" Allie tried to smile, but her lips were shaking.

"Short-circuited him. Y'know. He like, blew a fuse." I stared at her, and I'm pretty sure everyone else did too. She blinked slowly, and I wondered if the... drugs... were still affecting her. "You freaked him out and sent him running. Quietly, but still running."

Then she sighed, and moved out from under my arm. I stared after her, eyes narrowed, as she walked. Grady caught her arm.

"Where do you think you're going? We need Jenny to check you out."

"No!" Allie snapped. Seeing the looks on our faces, she softened. "She'll tell my mom." And before we could think about this too closely, she yanked her arm out of Grady's grip- forcefully- and walked away.

In the same direction Chad had gone.

_D/I/K/Y_

SPOV

I could feel, in the part of my mind that wasn't still more than a little hazy, their stares burning into my back. Yet I couldn't find it in myself to care just then. After I got a hunch (and a scary hunch, it was, too) and I'd texted Blake, I'd blanked out, because I did not like what I found out. But Chad was more confused than I was, and he needed me. He thought I was blaming him, just like everyone else.

Chad blamed himself for a lot of things. He didn't need this.

I followed him slowly, knowing exactly where he'd go.

"Hey." I murmured, as I found the alley-way. He had his forehead rested against the hard brick.

"Hi." He said, not turning his head. A wave of guilt overwhelmed me, knocking and colliding with my stress to create a sudden headache.

"Chad." Nothing. I put my hand on his shoulder. "_Chad_. Chad!"

"Come to drag me to the cops?" He asked dully. I breathed in sharply, and he turned to look at me, his face holding that horrible blank mask that I'd never really seen before today.

"No, Chad! Never." I whispered, squeezing his shoulder. "I know it wasn't you, okay? I was with you all today- well, yesterday, I guess." I assured him. "There's no way you could have put them in, and why would you in the first place?" The question was meant to be rhetorical question, but he turned around suddenly, eyes blazing.

"Why would I? Why _wouldn't_ I? I'm the perfect suspect. I hate you. I fight with you. I think you need to get out of my way. Who would believe I was innocent but you?" He raked a hand through his hair. "Do you think I want anyone to think I'm some kind of mad psychotic freak who would drug you? Well, I don't! I don't want to be forced and shifted and twisted _again_, because I'm tired of it. I'm sick and tired of people I used to know dodging me and running away just in case I blow up at them!" I was a little stunned. And I was angry.

"Chad." I hissed. "If you think, for one single, _solitary_ second that if you're innocent, I'm letting some desperate paps drag you down? I'm sorry, do you know me at all? I may hate you, but letting you go down for something you didn't do? That would be very, _very_ out of character for me." Sometime, I'd grabbed his tie, and pulled his face down near mine. "So get out of your little think-stain. Acting all freaky is only going to look bad for you." I growled at him.

Slowly, he nodded.

TPOV

We followed her. Of course.

Me, Nico, Zora and Grady, I mean.

The guy had tried to drug her, for goodness sakes! Why wouldn't we?

But I could see, with a sinking feeling, that she wasn't on our side.

She was on his.

Chastity's POV

I was surprised when the blonde girl turned to me.

"Chastity." She said quietly, picking up the tablets, which had been long-forgotten during the screaming, and pressing them into my hand. "Take these to Jenny. I don't care what Allie thinks, we need an adult involved." I nodded, surprised that Tawni would ask _me_, but accepted the request.

"You goin' after her?" I nodded towards Allie's retreating back. Tawni nodded, her blonde hair swinging. I gave her a hesitant thumbs up.

I headed out in search of Jenny. After a few minutes, I caught her.

"Jenny!" I yelled, relieved.

"Yes, Chastity?"

"Jenny, there's something really scary going on." My voice trembled. "I... just look." I held the small bottle out for her.

"Miss Munroe's painkillers?" The woman asked, confused. I nodded shakily. "They're subscribed, Chastity." She said kindly, clearly thinking the problem was one rather different than reality.

"No... Miss Henderson, really. Pour one out. Look at the pills." She sighed, but humoured me rather than arguing like she clearly wanted to. I watched as a few tablets fell into her hand.

Then my mouth fell open.

_Vicodin, 500mg_.

The painkillers that had been subscribed all along.

**A/N Uh oh… This means trouble! Remember- when they brought the bottle downstairs, it was full of sleeping tablets. They were set down on a table during the argument. Everyone from the casts was in the room.**

**So who swapped them back?**

**Find out in part 2 of this chapter!**

**Review, cos reviews are love... and will make me update faster ;)**

**Hannah xo**

**PS KitKattheGreat123 inspired this WHOLE CHAPTER. Thank her for getting me out of my mini rut :D**


	55. Pills and Confusion Part II

**A/N Hello! Its MEEE! Happy 4 days until Christmas *heart* To all my amazing reviewers; thank you! To ; *gasp* I can see why you thought that, but I'm sticking to what I said in chapter 47- DIKY is my baby. I shall never ever never give up on herrr! Unless I die. But I'm not intending on that, so... yeah. Lol :D**

**past decembers; yes, Chad was being a smart cookie. And Sonny was being awesome and playing along.**

**Due to the fact that Christmas is four days away, and I also have FF Secret Santa to write, and I kinda wanna get to the good stuff, there may be some time skips. SOZZA to anyone who hates time skips, 'cos I know I'm not particularly fond of 'em myself :/**

**Kudos and a HUGE thank you to KitKattheGreat123 for writing the first paragraph of this chapter! (aka up until the last 'what if') You're a star, doodle! Oh, and thanks for emailing me. And bringing me my phone back :P**

Chapter 54

Pills and Confusion Part II

**CPOV**

**I was in so much trouble.** **Every****one- ****_everyone_****- thought that **_I_** had swapped the pills.**

**I didn't even know if my own best friend believed me. Sonny was what really mattered, I supposed.** B**ut the guys, both Randomites and my own cast****, thought I would try to hurt, maybe even KILL her.** **What if someone went**** and told one of the adults? They think we hate each other- why would they believe us now if we told them it was an act?**

**What if I ended up talking to a policeman?**

**What if I ended up arrested?**

**What**** if...? I couldn't bear to think about it...**

**What if I ended up in jail... an****d Charles finished her off?**

** I closed my eyes, rubbing my forehead. It really, ****_really_**** wasn't an appropriate train of thought. I looked around; I'd been walking on auto-pilot. I was face to face with the wall of an alleyway. I leaned my forehead against the rough wall, hoping the stinging feeling would distract my dark thoughts.**

** "Hey****." Her voice, as always, pulled me from my thoughts. The fear was eating me though; just what was going to happen?**

"Hi." I mumbled, not moving my eyes from the wall and not moving my head even though it was really stinging now.

"Chad." She repeated, with a tone of irritation in her voice. A small, cool hand landed on my shoulder, making it that much harder not to turn around. "_Chad_. Chad!"

I couldn't take it anymore. I had to know, I had to know what she thought.** (Say When by the Fray is INSPIRINGH ME)**

"Come to drag me to the cops?" I asked. I heard her sharp intake of breath- but hey, that could mean anything.

"No, Chad! Never." She said, her hand constricting on my shoulder in what was probably meant to be a comforting gesture. It just hurt. I think Charles stomped on it. "I know it wasn't you, okay? I was with you all today- well, yesterday, I guess." She rushed on, thinking out loud as well as talking to me. "There's no way you could have put them in, and why would you in the first place?" I didn't care about the fact that it was a rhetorical. She was being naïve.

"Why would I?" I laughed sarcastically. "Why _wouldn't_ I? I'm the perfect suspect." I heard a small noise. A footfall. Crossing my fingers and praying she would catch on, I continued on. "I _hate_ you. I fight with you. I think you need to get out of my way. Who would believe I was innocent but you?" I raked a hand through my hair, hoping it would distract me. "Do you think I want anyone to think I'm some kind of mad psychotic freak who would drug you?" I couldn't imagine it. Members of my family were already disappointed in me for the whole Hollywood mess; them thinking I drugged my best friend might prompt them to get out the torches and pitchforks.

"Well, I don't! I don't want to be forced and shifted and twisted _again_, because I'm tired of it. I'm sick and tired of people I used to know dodging me and running away just in case I blow up at them!" There was a particularly painful twinge, but this time it came from my heart. I met her eyes for a splits-second.

Uh oh, she wasn't happy.

"Chad." She snarled at me. "If you think, for one single, _solitary_ second that if you're innocent, I'm letting some desperate paps drag you down?" She grabbed my tie and yanked it. Hard. Our faces were suddenly much closer. "I'm sorry, do you know me at all? I may hate you, but letting you go down for something you didn't do? That would be very, _very_ out of character for me." Her breath blew into my face, and my thoughts slowed way down. And all thoughts of Charles were suddenly very, very far away. "So get out of your little think-stain. Acting all freaky is only going to look bad for you." I was still listening to her. Vaguely. I was more concentrating on her mouth than on her words. It was distracting in some way. A weird way. I got the sense, though, despite the fact that half her words hadn't actually registered with me, that she wanted me to agree with her. I nodded, the movement sluggish. She smiled in relief. I watched, fascinated, as her lips turned up at the corners. Mouths were cool. I mean... um... yeah.

"Good." Sonny said. I was lip-reading by this point. I didn't know it was so easy to get stuck staring at someone's... mouth, but here I was. Good thing I was good at having silent conversations with her. Otherwise, this wouldn't have worked so well. Granted, I didn't usually stare at her mouth because I _wanted_ to, but still...

Anyway.

"Allie, there you are!" A female voice cried, causing Sonny to drop her hold on my tie and me to break out of my trance. I stumbled away from her slightly, hoping no one noticed the blush on my face.

**A/N This is ridiculously short, because I need to post but I have to go to bed. So tomorrow, there shall be... **

**Pills and Confusion Part III!**

**Heh. Sorry guys. But there was CHANNY here, so can ya forgive me? :D**

**Reviews are love! :D**

**Hannah xo**

**PS Anonymous reviewers are welcome! :D**


	56. Pills and Confusion Part III

**A/N Hey! Happy three days to Christmas :) Or, happy Winter Solstice if you believe in that. It's the shortest day of the year! Heh, so last chapter we got a little CPOV; awwww, poor Chad, going all romantic and stuff while Sonny was too peeved at him to notice xD Anyhoo, here we go; the concluding chapter of this little dramatic part!**

**sammyrules; heh, I missed you guys too! *joins in jumping up and down***

**PS I have NO idea why like, the first half of the last chapter was in bold :/ It wasn't in bold in the document! I hope people who don't read author's notes didn't miss it because of that!**

Chapter 55

Pills and Confusion Part III

SPOV

Tawni threw her arms around me. I jumped, dropping Chad's tie in my surprise. Why was I holding onto it anyway? I turned to my blonde castmate, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, I went to talk this doofus out of his think-stain." I smirked, nudging Chad. I caught the look on Tawni's face.

Whoops.

"Oh, come on, Tawni, you don't believe he actually did it, do you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You _don't_?" She asked me, shocked. I shook my head.

"I do not. You were screeching about him being my trip partner- I'm also _his_ trip partner, remember? He wasn't anywhere near my bag." I said firmly.

"Allie." Tawni hesitated. I waited. "Are you sure your sleeping pills didn't mess with you?" A hand grabbed my arm as I tried to dive at her.

"Whoa, whoa, _chill_, chill!" Chad commanded me. Tawni was staring at me in shock.

"Don't you _dare_ treat me like that! I'm not stupid!" I yelled. "Getoffme!" I snarled at Chad.

"_Calm_." He ordered me. I didn't like being ordered. It just riled me up.

"NO!" I snapped.

"Deep breaths! In, out, in, out." He muttered, turning me away from Tawni. He grabbed my wrists and held them together. Despite myself, I followed his instructions. My breathing slowed to a normal pace.

"No fair." I muttered, annoyed as he released my wrists, careful of the brace. I grumpily turned back to Tawni. "Do _not_ insult my intelligence, Tawni. It puts me in a really bad mood, and I have enough crap on my plate." I turned back to Chad. "And I turned back to Chad. "And _you_. Don't tell me what to do." I growled. Tawni, mouth still hanging open, turned to Chad.

"How do you _do_ that?" She asked.

"I have three sisters and at least five girl cousins. I'm pretty experienced in the art of dealing with slightly hysterical females." Chad shrugged. I glared at him.

"Doofus." I muttered again. "Anyway, Tawni. The sleeping pills did _not_ mess with my thinking." I gave her a dirty look. "I've taken sleeping pills before; it's nothing I can't deal with." I could see Chad gaping at me out of the corner of my eye, but I chose to ignore it.

"You have?" Tawni was surprised. I shrugged.

"Yeah. Insomnia isn't fun." I forced a smile. I'd stopped taking sleeping pills for a specific reason. I didn't like that reason. Wasn't it enough with strong painkillers already?

Tawni nodded slowly. "Okay... well, let's go back to the hotel before Jenny finds out we're gone."

"Won't she already have noticed?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, we put Chastity on the job." She grinned, then started humming that Gabriella Cilmi song 'On a Mission'. I rolled my eyes, still not over my bad mood. We walked back into the lobby, only to see be greeted with an even worse situation than the one we'd just left.

_D/I/K/Y_

TPOV

"What do you _mean_, the sleeping pills are gone?" I asked Chastity, staring at her in shock.

"I mean they're GONE!" She snapped back at me. I twisted a strand of blonde hair around my finger.

"Chastity." I breathed through my nose. "How are they gone? What actually happened?" She played with her light brown hair.

"I did what you told me! I took them to Jenny. She didn't believe me, so I told her to shake some pills out of the bottle." She took another deep breath, shaking a little. "They were all Vicodin, exactly what Allison was prescribed, okay? I don't know what's happened, or how." I looked at Allie. She was staring at Chastity in shock.

"Allie...?" I asked, concerned. She looked whiter than ever.

"I think I need to sit down." She said faintly. Chad freakin' Cooper grabbed her arm and pulled her over to a chair, and started telling her how to breathe again. How did he _do_ that? I followed them and sat down beside Allie before Chad could, curling my legs under me.

"You okay?" I asked. Allie shook her head slowly. Chad gave me an incredulous look.

"Tell me, Blondie, if someone had just tried to drug you; tried to put you in a coma or even..." He swallowed. "_Kill_ you, would you be _okay_?" He whispered. I looked at him. He looked... afraid. And I was being forced to accept that Chad _wasn't_ (ugh) to blame. Was he... afraid for Allie?

"You know, Chad." I said conversationally. Allie continued to stare ahead, her expression dead. "For someone who doesn't give a damn, you care an awful lot." I said.

It's amazing how suddenly someone's expression can go blank when they're trying to hide something.

_D/I/K/Y_

CPOV

Jenny chose that moment to talk to us, saving me from having to respond. Sonny was still staring into space. I nudged her and pointed towards Jenny. She shot me a grateful look.

"Hey guys!" Jenny greeted us perkily. She frowned at the grunts she got in return. "None of you seem up to much today," She said, sounding disappointed. "Which is good, because we're visiting the beauty of the Portland Japanese Garden today!" She was perky again. Did she _ever_ run out of energy?  
"Sounds _boring_." Marta sneered. "Can't we, like, go to Paris or something?"

"Marta." I said tiredly. "Paris is in _France_. This is a tour of the _USA_."

"We can take my private jet! Well, MackenZie Falls can..." She threw a dirty look at Sonny's pale face. I glared at her.

"Get with it, Marta! Are you stupid? No, don't answer that. I _know_ you're stupid." Chastity snapped. Several pairs of eyes turned to her. Everyone mirrored the same expression of shock, including Jenny. Even Sonny stopped staring into space long enough to gawk at her.

"Amen, sister." Zora said. I grinned at Chastity. Sonny stood up.

"I really want to hug you right now." She said, grinning wryly. Echoing my big-ass grin, Chastity stood up and held her arms out. The two girls hugged.

Jenny clapped, looking thrilled. "See, you guys aren't so different! This is exactly what this trip is trying to accomplish!" Sonny fist-pounded with Chastity before walking back over to sit beside me.

_D/I/K/Y_

It was only a matter of time, I supposed.

I mean... who doesn't break down when someone's trying to kill them?

It was four hours later when Sonny broke.

We were walking. Just walking along, by some waterfall. I made a comment about some fancy flower.

And Sonny stopped dead.

We'd been set loose (aka sent off in pairs) by Jenny about an hour earlier, so there were none of the others around. And the park was pretty empty; it was around lunch time.

The sharp intake of breath was all I needed to hear.

Not even bothering to glance around, I hugged her to me. The way she clung to me confirmed my suspicions.

"They're trying to kill me, Chaddy," She said in a small voice. Her voice cracked, and she started to cry. "Why?" I hugged her tighter.

"I don't know, but they're seriously annoying me." I muttered. "I mean, with the trying to hurt you and stuff." She hugged me tighter for a second, then looked up, her tear streaked face troubled.

"Promise me something?" She whispered, her voice trembling. I was helpless when she looked at me like that. _No, bad Chad, don't stare..._

"Anything." I said. My throat felt funny.

"Don't do anything stupid." I was surprised, to say the least.

"Me? Something stupid?" I joked. She pulled away, her face serious.

"I mean it." She said shakily, wiping a strand of damp hair from her face. Was it a bad thing I thought she looked absolutely stunning? "No funny stuff. I need you to _promise _me." A thought struck me, and I frowned.

"Sonny... do you _know_ who did this?"

Her reaction was just a second off beat. I had to admit, it was impressive.

"Of course not." She said, her pretty eyes widening.

Just a second too late.

But if she was lying, there had to be a cause right?

So I played along.

"Oh. Bummer. It'd be pretty good if we could solve this." I said, with a thick edge of disappointment. She gave me a watery smile.

"It would, wouldn't it?"

Is anyone honest these days?

_D/I/K/Y_

It happened at lunch time.

I was just walking around, you know? Trying to clear my head. I never meant to eavesdrop. I never thought I'd find out.

I never thought I'd actually figure out who tried to hurt Sonny. But I did.

"Hello? Yeah, it's me." I heard my castmate say. There was a silence, as he waited for whoever it was to reply. "Yeah, I did it. No, man, the bitch **[*]** is well confused! No one suspects a thing... Actually, they think Chaddy-boy did it." Silence. My stomach felt like ice. "Yeah, it's all working out, isn't it? Okay, well, I expect the money by noon on Thursday. Any later, and I tell the police everything." More silence. He laughed. "What? Me? _I'm_ in no position to make deals? Nah, man, I'd say we're on pretty even ground..." He tapped his foot, waiting for a chance to talk. "Okay, that's it. Everything's going perfectly. None of the adults know; I swapped them back while the hot Randomite and our 'supreme' leader were yelling at each other. Everyone's freaking out. Yeah, that's all." A short pause. "I'll let you know."

I couldn't move.

He walked around the corner, freezing when he saw me.

"Hey, Chad, buddy!" He greeted me, grinning.

He didn't know I knew.

"Devon." I said neutrally.

**A/N DUN DUN DUUUUN! Heh, this should have been longer. Sorry :/**

**But at least we know now! Well, I always knew, but still...**

**Who was Devon talking to on the phone? Haha, all in good time, my readers... all in good time...**

**OH! Y'all MUST read MusicChannySkyscraper's one-shot 'Christmas Letters'! Its based off this story and its PERFECT. Go, go, go!**

**And you know who I miss? k.98'PeaceOutSuckas. You have to come back soon, hun! I need an Argie hug...**

**Review, cos, reviews are love!**

**Hannah xo**


	57. To Fight or Not to Fight

**A/N HELLO ALL. I'm sorry I haven't updated; there was, y'know, Christmas going on, and on Boxing Day I caught a tummy bug that had me throwing up all day, and then the day after Boxing Day- yesterday- I still felt pretty bleugh. Oh, and for Christmas I got a netbook! (she's a beauty) but my dad only installed something I could write on at like, two o'clock this morning. Literally. (He came in and stole my netbook. It was okay, I was awake- insomnia's too good a friend of mine -_-)**

**SO, anyway! How was your Christmases? (Or... Hanukahs?) Were they fun? What did you get? :D**

**SHOUTOUT to my lovely anon reviewer Nicole; girl, you're so cute. Don't worry, my internet goes down all the time -_-. I WANT TO HUG YOU. Here's a hug, okay? *hugs you***

**MENTION- k.98'PeaceOutSuckas- what happened to reviewing at Christmas time? I MISS YOU. You probably don't think I do cos I *face palm* haven't mentioned you in a while. COME BACK TO ME :'(**

**THANK YOU to the amazing MusicChannySkyscraper for being my one-time beta in the absence of spell checker... LOVE YOU.**

**Um... On with the chapter...**

**This takes place the next day, btw :P**

Chapter 56

To Fight or Not to Fight

CPOV

"What do you mean, it's not who we thought?" Sonny hissed, her phone clamped to her ear. I watched her out of the corner of my eye, trying hard not to give her away by reacting to anything she said. As far as her castmates and Jenny were concerned, she was at the bathroom. Being the best friend, I picked up on her frantic phone call pretty quickly.

"Has she moved at all?... No? She's still in town? How is that possible?" The tone in my best friend's voice, I noticed, was high on desperation.

"Well, who else could it be?" Silence. "Blake... I'm scared." My heart, already pounding, stopped at those words. What was this? And why hadn't she told me? "No, of course I haven't told him! I haven't even told Mom!" Me. They were talking about me.

Why?

"I don't know how to deal with this! I thought... I thought... I thought it would stop when I came here!" She wailed, sounding like she was fighting back tears.

What the...

I'd known all along, really. That she was hiding something. And now she was pretty much confirming it for me.

And now I felt sick. Because she knew there was someone after her. She always had known, the whole time she was in Hollywood. And before, in Wisconsin. This went deeper than any of us realized.

Sonny was in danger. She knew. She was afraid. She was terrified. But she hadn't told anyone.

Except, apparently, her brother.

And she wouldn't tell me. I was her best friend!

What was I going to do?

/D/I/K/Y/

"Devon." I growled.

Okay, so Sonny had told me not to do anything stupid. Just talking to Devon wasn't stupid, was it? Of course not. I would not punch him in the face. I would not. I wouldn't.

Nope.

"O Supreme Leader." He drawled, flipping through his phone.

"Who put you up to it, Devon?" I asked softly. Dangerously. He glanced at me, his expression blank.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, man." He was trying for friendly, but his voice came out flat.

"I think you're lying, Devon. I think you know exactly what I'm talking about." I said coldly. Meanwhile, when did I become a mafia member? He looked at me, a too-innocent expression on his face. Devon managed to stay on Mack Falls for one reason and one reason only; exaggeration. In. Everything.

"Me? I'm just sittin' here, texting a friend... How's the Random chick, by the way? Gone back to where she belongs yet?"

That did it.

I wasn't sure how it happened, but somehow I found my hands gripping his shirt collar and pinning him to the wall via his neck.

"Get the frick off me!" Devon shrieked, squirming like a bug.

"Listen to me, Jones." I said slowly. "You leave Sonny alone, or I'll take you and your little accomplice to jail. Got it?" He nodded, and squeaked as I released him. Shaking, he brushed himself off. I turned to walk away.

"Idiot. Sonny Munroe is going down, there's nothing you can do about it, gay boy..." Devon said.

I froze.

"What did you just say?" I asked quietly. I turned around slowly, so angry I could barely move. "What did you just say?" Devon's smirk was mega-watt.

"Nothing." He said, his smirk sort of reminding me of a cartoon shark.

That's when I hit him.

/D/I/K/Y/

"This is... despicable behaviour!" Jenny raged.

"Ow." I muttered, massaging my jaw.

"The point of this trip," Jenny seethed, "was to bond the two casts, NOT to create problems within each cast! I am... disgusted by this!"

Yep, Jenny had caught us fighting. Actually, an elderly woman with a dog had, and she'd shrieked something about an emergency, and being Jenny, Jenny responded in a panic. She was less than pleased when she found the cause of her emergency was two of her 'charges'.

And now we were being lectured.

"I mean, I mean- as a cast, you're supposed to be a family!" Jenny cried, wringing her hands. "I know it hasn't been easy, between Miss Balatico not knowing when to be quiet and Mr Cooper not knowing how to hide his letters, but honestly! Fighting?"

Devon, on the other side of Jenny, was holding an ice pack to his head while glaring at me over her head. I stretched my arm, flipping the bird as subtly as I could.

"Boys." Uh oh. "Are you listening to me?"

"Nope." Devon said uninterestedly, abandoning any attempt at pleasantries. I glowered at him. I knew Jenny pretty well- she'd been one of Sonny's grade school teachers after all. And once Jenny Henderson got started, it took a while for her to stop.

"This is despicable! I have half a mind to bring the both of you to Mr Condor! I expected better from you, Mr Cooper." Jenny glared at me. I put my hands up innocently. "You were raised better than this."

It was too late to shake my head to stop Jenny's train of thought, so I just gave her an apologetic expression before replying in a way to stop Devon looking suspicious.

"Call my mom and her asshole husband then." I growled. Well, that was less dishonest than what I was intending to go for, but it sounded good. "I don't care."

Devon gave me a look that was almost respect, but closer to mockery. I didn't really care what he thought, though.

"I'm outta here. Can't stay in the same room as that psychopath- he might attack me again." Devon smirked. I glared at him. "Ohhh, scary!" He said sarcastically.

"Idiot." I muttered as he stomped up the stairs.

"Really, Chad." Jenny sighed, a little more relaxed. "What were you thinking? I will have to call your mom, you know." She told me.

"Oh, joy." I snapped. That was I really what I needed. Not. "Just give her a heart attack, why don't you? I spend most of my time switching between ass-hat work me and family me. Those two aren't supposed to cross." I crossed my arms, settling with a glare. Jenny sighed.

"It's the policy, Mr Cooper. No exceptions."

Wonderful.

/D/I/K/Y/

SPOV

"What did you do now?" I groaned at Chad. He was massaging his jaw and I was pretty sure I knew. We were sitting in the same park that the paparazzi had ambushed us in, but in a more secure- and obscure place. The trees above our heads made it seem like dusk rather than midday.

He opened his mouth but I talked over him. "Never mind that, WHY did you do it? Fighting, Chad... I classify that as stupid!" I ranted. He put his hand over my mouth.

"Shh."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Sonny."

"No!"

"Sonny."

"WHAT?" I gave in, okay?

"I know who did this to you." My heartbeat picked up, and I blinked up at him.

"No." I said stupidly.

"Yes." He said gently. He couldn't! No, not even Blake knew! Chad couldn't know more than my brother... It wasn't possible!

"It was Devon."

Wait... what?

"Chad, you've got it all wrong." I said, shaking my head. "It wasn't Devon, it was someone-"

"Yes?"

Oh crap.

"I mean- uh- um... I mean, it couldn't have been Devon he- he's too- um... stupid?" It sounded wick to my own ears.

"Sonny. Why are you lying to me?" I sighed. The look on his face was so betrayed. I reached up to stroke his face.

"Chad, Chad, Chad... I'm not lying to you. Really." I said sincerely. He shook me off and I flinched.

"Sonny, I heard you call Blake earlier." He said, his face accusing.

"Chad, I..." Wait. "Were you eavesdropping?"

"No! Well, yes, maybe a little, but come on-"

"I can't believe you'd invade my privacy like that!"

"I can't believe you'd lie to me like that!"

"I can't believe we're even talking about this!"

"Neither can I!"

"I hate you!" I snapped, totally disbelieving. How could he do this?

"Sonny, come on-"

"No, I can't believe this! I just- just- gosh, I'm sorry, okay?" I let my arms go limp.

He hugged me then, probably because I made it easy for him. What can I say? I was under too much stress and pressure to throw a prolonged hissy fit.

"I'm sorry. I was just worried about you," He murmured. I patted his cheek.

"Can't I just not talk about this? I don't wanna." I whined.

"No, Sonshine. We kinda need to talk before, y'know, this whole thing gets worse." I wasn't happy. Far from it.

"Fine. I don't know who drugged me."

"Devon." Chad said firmly.

"I didn't know it was Devon who drugged me." I continued, teeth gritted. "But I had... a theory." He stared at me expectantly, blue eyes piercing.

"There's... a person... who doesn't...like ...me very much." It was hard deciding what to say. This was one of my best kept secrets. Chad's eyes tightened. Looking up into his eyes, I realized something.

I couldn't tell him.

Not the whole story.

He'd be furious. He'd kill her. I couldn't, didn't doubt that. He'd kill her.

But not before she destroyed him.

And not before she came after me.

I took a deep breath. "We fight a lot. I thought she could have done this, but... I was being ridiculous. She's just a girl, our age. She's not that bad. Just annoys me a lot. Don't worry about it Chad; I was just being silly." Lies, of course.

His eyes were doubtful, but it was the best I could do.

He couldn't know.

Because Amy Michaels was a psychopath.

**A/N Love it? Hate it? Kind of like it?**

**Twisty twist! What have we found out this chapter, ehhh? The name of HER. Sonny's tormentor. And Sonny's resolve was getting weak folks. Keep that in mind! :D And also who Blake is! :D**

**Please review! Reviews are love! Do you love this story? I hope you do :) I love you all! :)**

**Hannah xo**


	58. Trust Debate

**A/N Hello! Sorry for the delay... MY NETBOOK BROKE ON MONDAY. It had an accident. I don't want to go into details, but put it this way; I need a new one. Then Tuesday school started back and I went to a pantomime afterwards. So I've been like *cry* and I've had no time :(**

**I'd like to give a shoutout to my _amazing_ best friend Kitkat286! Check out her SWAC story 'A DIKY Christmas'! She wrote it as a present for me when I was sick last week and it's SO CUTE. Make sure you review! And she also wrote a scene for this chapter! :D That's how we roll ;)**

**Super special**** shoutout to **LaLaLaLaLaAlicee **for leaving a really, really lovely review on here! Alice, I'm so glad you told me that! If you're coming back to the mighty FF dot net itself, I'll be sure to drop you a review (: But really, thank you! You have no idea how much everything you said means to me :')**

**Argie; of course we miss you, silly! I'll wait patiently now. Be good, okay? I love ya! OH MY GOSH YOU'RE SORT OF UNGROUNDED EEEP! You'll be able to review more often! And writing IS the correct word in English, so well done :D AND I LOVED THAT. Can I post it on FF? Pretty, pretty please?**

**GUYS, GUYS if you like angsty dark awesome relationship songs I SO recommend Broken Pieces by Apocalyptica. It features one of my favorite singers EVER, Lacey Sturm, and I'm so addicted to it right now. *heart***

Chapter 57

Trust Debate

CPOV

She wasn't telling me everything. I knew that. I did.

But I let her force a smile and prattle on and leave things out. I nodded and didn't mention the gaping hole we were both excruciatingly aware of. This girl had done my girl damage. Even if it wasn't what was hurting Sonny _now_ she'd hurt her before. And that wasn't forgivable. It was kind of ridiculous, really. Maybe that girl just said fought with Sonny in the hallways. It was funny, really... Even with my best friend telling me it was, in no way, a big deal, I still wanted to teach the girl a lesson.

_Maybe that's the problem_, a little voice in the back of my mind whispered. _Maybe you're _too_ protective..._

I shook the thought away and went back to my best friend, who was standing right in front of me. Maybe I should have _nagged_ the truth out of her...

"So we good?" She asked, hope in her eyes. That did it- that little spark of hope, life. I couldn't push her, because it would hurt her. She was... happy, protecting her secret.

I was the same, in a way. I didn't like lying, and I _hated_ the beatings. I'm no masochist. But there was something about it- the knowledge that I was doing it for my _family_, that I was actually protecting them, had an odd sensation about it. It was almost a pull, but not in the strictest sense. Knowing that- that I was taking care of them, in my own way got me through every single kick, punch, slap and throw.

Was it sick? Was it wrong?

It maybe was, a little. But hey- I didn't have much choice, did I?

"Yeah, we're good." _For now, _I added on mentally. I smiled at her. She sighed in relief, running a hand through her thick hair.

"Oh, I'm so glad!" I kept the smile firm on my face, hoping it didn't look fixed. I loved Sonny, I really did, but the lying was getting old.

_Hypocrite_, I chastised myself. I really needed to stop whining. I was a liar too.

Sonny startled me, grabbing my hand and tugging.

"Let's go!" She said, smiling slightly. I knew that smile. Not _everything_ had changed around us.

"Coffee?"

"Coffee." She confirmed, her grin growing huge, playing up her sparkly eyes.

_Jeez_. BEST friend, not... girlfriend.

It worried me that I needed to make sure that stayed in the forefront of my mind.

_/D/I/K/Y/_

I was drinking coffee when I was reminded of something. Quite forcefully, actually.

It came in the form of a man walking through the door of the coffee shop we were in. I didn't really notice him at first. Why would I? I don't generally notice random men. I just glanced at the door, just like everyone else, because the door had a bell above it that rang every time someone opened the door. Sonny was laughing and drinking coffee, and really, that was taking all of my attention. (Have I ever told her how beautiful she is? Is that something I should keep to myself?)

The man was at the counter when Sonny ran out of coffee.

"Cha-ad..." She sang, giving me puppy eyes. I heaved a gusty sigh.

"_Fine_. What do you want?" She smiled playfully. The good thing about us- we can push away the heavy stuff for a whole and just _hang_.

"Surprise me!" I rolled my eyes good naturedly and walked up to the counter. I ordered two caramel mochas. I ignored the flirtatious smile sent my way and picked up our coffees. Turning a little two quickly, I grunted as I crashed into someone, sending coffee over the both of us and the floor.

"Oh, sorry, I..." I started apologising automatically, looking up.

"It's ok!" The man chuckled. The café girl ran around the counter, holding way too many napkins. She started dabbing at the coffee on my t-shirt. I gratefully grabbed some out of her hand.

"I got it, thanks." I said warmly, hoping she'd take the hint and stop touching me. She smiled, unabashed, and handed the man some napkins.

"Sorry again." I said apologetically, eyeing my stained t-shirt and swallowing at the mess of the man's shirt.

"Its no problem, really," He chuckled, tucking his hands into his pockets. I smiled at him carefully (he was a total stranger, after all) and started to turn back towards the counter, when he stuck out his hand.

"I'm Jordan, Jordan Carter." He introduced himself. O...kay? I reached a hand out to shake his, hesitant in my confusion.

"Chad... Chad Dylan Cooper." I said.

"Oh, I know." Jordan smiled. I didn't like it. "I'm a friend of your dad's." I could feel the shock on my face. My dad...? Seeing the confusion on my face, James smiled again. I _really_ didn't like it this time. It seemed wrong, while perfectly normal. "Your step-father." He clarified.

I couldn't help myself. I stepped backwards.

Or at least, I tried to. Carter put a 'friendly' arm around my shoulder. "Your _dad_ wanted me to give you this." He said, emphasising the word 'dad' tauntingly and holding out a piece of thick paper. "He didn't want to risk you showing it to that Munroe skank again." My fists clenched. He noticed and chuckled. "Careful, Cooper. Don't want the lady to get hurt." Giving me a clap on the back, he walked away. I stood stock still for a few seconds, still trying to wrap my mind around what had just happened.

_He's sending people after me now..._

I got two fresh coffees, staring straight past the girl's pretty smile. I walked back to the booth slowly, my head spinning.

"Chad?" Sonny's voice pierced my thoughts and I looked up at her, a smile automatically spreading across my face at the sight of her. Despite the crap that had just gone down, I couldn't _not_ smile at the sight of my beautiful best friend, a soft smile on her face, and fingers tangled lazily in her brown hair. Her smile grew in response.

"Hey, sorry... Had an accident and had to get two new coffees." I apologised, moving to sit in the booth and sliding her mocha across the table. She caught it expertly and took a sip.

"So, who was that guy?" She asked, taking the nosiness out of her words by offering me a smile topped with a cream-moustache. I smirked at her, and she smirked right back, clearly aware of her problem. I threw one of the napkins at her.

"He knows Charles, apparently." I said lightly, rolling my eyes. She leaned her head to the side a little.

"You okay?" She asked.

"Me? 'Course, why wouldn't I be?" I said, maybe a little two quickly. She wiped her mouth with the napkin, eyeing me speculatively.

"Your t-shirt's a mess. You look like a hobo." She smirked. I rolled my eyes.

"Gee, thanks, Munroe."

"Hey, I live to brighten up lives with my natural sunshine," She joked. I smiled but couldn't help but agree with her. I raised an eyebrow.

"Where do you think I pulled your nickname from?" I grinned. She smiled hugely and I congratulated myself internally. It was my new mission to make her smile as much as _possible_. There was no greater feeling than seeing _her_ smile.

_D/I/K/Y_

SPOV

After returning to the hotel, I went back up to my room. My brother had promised to call if he found anything else out, and when I found myself alone in the room, I couldn't help taking out my phone and waiting for it to ring.

It didn't.

"C'mon, Blake..." I muttered, unable to take my eyes away. "Come on, come on..."

After a few minutes of staring at my cell, I had to pick it up. I checked that the ringer was on. It was. I sighed in annoyance.

Hey, maybe it was a good thing. Maybe Devon thought it up all on his own and I didn't have to worry...

"_It just takes some time, little girl, you're in the middle of the ride, everything, everything'll be just fine, everything, everyth..."_ My ringtone got off as I dived on my phone.

"Hello?"

"_Sonny... It's Cameron..."_ I frowned, confused.

"Cam? I thought Blake was handling this?" I asked other brother.

The silence told me more than he could ever say.

_D/I/K/Y_

The door crashed open, breaking the loaded silence that was all I could hear.

"Hey, Allie!" Chastity said, sounding surprised that I was in the room already. "I thought you and Chad were still out? I didn't see him in the lobby..."

I pretty much ignored her, although it wasn't really deliberate. I just held the phone, clamped tight to my ear, and tried not to cry.

"Allie?" Chastity caught sight of the tears that had started to dribble down my face. "Oh, you poor thing! What happened?" She asked sympathetically. I shook my head silently, gesturing to the phone pressed to my ear.

"Oh." She said quietly, and, to my eternal gratitude, shut up and walked into the bathroom, pulling the tie out of her hair and locking the door behind herself.

"_Still there?"_ Cameron asked softly. I took a deep breath.

"Tell me, Cam. Please... tell me what happened." I pleaded. He sighed heavily, but gave in.

"_He... he were driving, on his way to talk to them." He started. My heart sank. "All of a sudden... BAM! This big-ass Jeep comes outta nowhere and slams into the car."_ I tried to ignore the guilt creeping up into my heart. _Wait until you know for sure,_ my mind whispered.

"Is he okay?" I asked in a small voice. Cameron hesitated before answering.

"_Sort of. We were lucky."_ My stomach twisted_. "Blake... You know how he always has that pillow thing?"_ I nodded silently, and Cam continued. He knew me well. "It saved him. Doctors said the force woulda disconnected his brain from his spine, but the pillow muffled the force." (**A/N; this can actually happen; I saw it in an episode of CSI.) **_"So, a sore neck, a lot of whiplash, and some pretty heavy concussion, but apparently that's it. The car's totalled though."_

"Praise God." I breathed. "Better the car than Blake."

"_Yeah. He's not out of the woods yet, mind you- still pretty concussed and banged up. But he'll be fine, sis. We Munroes are tougher 'n that."_ I had to smile at that. He sounded like a redneck. I told him so, pulling a laugh before the conversation turned serious again.

"_You alright?"_ He asked gently. I swallowed down the guilty lump in my throat.

"Just worried."

"_About...?"_

"Seriously, Cam? Blake!" I scowled.

"_There's not really anything to worry about. Well, possibly Blake breaking something in his enraged attempt to file a report at the station, but that's not what you're concerned about."_ He stated. I could just picture his face; eyes narrowed, mouth set in a straight line. He was worrying over _me_, of all things. Didn't he realize...?

"This is my fault!" I blurted, covering my mouth as soon as the words flew out. _That was not meant to come out..._ Cameron sighed.

"_It is not your fault. It's the fault of the driver of the Jeep."_ Cameron said firmly. I lay back, grunting in frustration.

"Don't you see?" I asked, taking a deep breath. Now was _not_ the time for tears. "It was her, Blake. Its because of me he was in the car in the first place. Don't you _see_ it, she knows! She knew he was coming!" I could feel hysteria budding in my chest. "She was the one who sent the drugs! And she knows... she knows we know." I choked on my own breath. "Oh, Cameron... she knows."

_She knows._

_D/I/K/Y_

CPOV

"Guys, we're leaving Portland." Jenny told us over dinner. We exchanged surprised glances; we were supposed to be staying for another two days. "I know, I know. But everyone's been acting real restless and rowdy since we've been here. We can't risk anything else, guys." I felt a few pairs of eyes on me, but I ignored them. "You're taking cars with your partners." Jenny clapped. "Pack quick guys, and sleep well, because we're making an early get away!"

Straight after dinner, we were sent to our rooms. I glared at Devon's back the whole way up the stairs. Just before we walked into the room, I was surprised when Nico stopped me.

"Word of advice, Pooper; no more fights." He mumbled. I nodded at him awkwardly and walked into the room ahead of him. That was... odd, because he wasn't threatening me.

I started picking clothes off the floor, throwing them haphazardly in the direction of my suitcase.

"Hey, Chaddy, how's the 'friend'?" Devon asked. I rolled my eyes.

"She's none of your business." I said firmly. No _way_ was he any of his business; especially since he'd drugged her. Asshat.

I finished my packing in silence.

My phone rang, just as I finished zipping it up. I smiled when I saw the Caller ID

"Hello, beautiful." I smirked.

"_Chad... Oh, my gosh..._"

"Hey, Layla." I said softly, trying to tell her there were other people in the room. Devon turned around quickly, grinning at me. Nico went on with his packing.

"_Oh, you're in your room?"_ Disappointment was clear in her tone.

"Yeah... are you alright?" She sounded near tears. Was it that chick from her school?

"_Yeah... sorta. I just needed to hear your voice."_ I smiled a little, but I couldn't help my concern at the tears obvious in her voice.

"Hey, are you crying?

"_No..." _She sniffled. I heard a muffled sob.

"Layla, shhh... come on, honey, it'll be okay..." I tried to soothe her, running a hand through my hair. Stress.

"_This sucks," _She mumbled.

"Yeah." I agreed.

"_Oh... I'm getting another call. I'll talk to you later, okay?"_

"Yeah. Hang in there. I love you."

"_Love you too..."_

"Bye," I whispered before hanging up. I sat down on my bed, my head pounding with the worry it couldn't suppress.

"What's happened _now_?" I moaned out loud, face planting into the pillow as I flopped into a lying down position.

"Trouble with the woman?" Devon smirked. I gave him my most sarcastic smile.

"Funny."

"'_Love ya Layla! Oh, Layla, don't cry!"_ Devon continued, putting on a high-pitched, whiny voice.

"Devon." I warned.

"So tell us, Chaddy... Is she hot?" _Yes._ I resisted the urge to slap myself.

"None of your business, Jones."

"I'll take that as a yes." Despite myself, my cheeks warmed slightly and I tried to focus on packing.

"Shut up, Devon."

"Touchy, touchy..." He goaded. I threw a shirt at my suitcase with more force than what was probably necessary.

"That's my best friend. I reserve the right to break your jaw," I snapped.

"Awww... look who's all possessive with his little girlfriend." Devon mock-cooed, eyes glinting. I felt my hand curl into a fist slowly. "Bet she doesn't even give a crap about you." He giggled.

"You don't know anything!"

"I know more about... _her_ than you'd think, Chaddy." Devon said quietly, smirking. Anger exploded inside me, and I snarled.

"You _lookin'_ for a fight, Jones?"

"I will kick your pathetic _ass_, freak show."

"Hey, break it _up_!" Nico yelled, shoving between us. "Man, did you listen to Miss Henderson? No more fights! If we get in more trouble, Condor will be after us and we'll _all _get fired!" He shoved me one direction (**;)**) and Devon the other. "_Chill_."

"Touch me again, filthy Random, and I will have you arrested." Nico caught my gaze and shrugged his shoulders in a 'what you gonna do?' way.

I swore to myself; if Devon touched her again, he was going down.

For real.

_D/I/K/Y_

"Hey, you." Sonny said softly, as she closed the car door behind her.

"Hi." I greeted her, and started the car. The studio had rented a couple small cars. They had GPS which had been programmed with the location for our next official stop; Las Vegas, Nevada.

"How you feelin'? I asked as we started up the street. She sighed.

"Better, I guess." She avoided my eyes. "Blake... was in a car accident."

I breathed in sharply, skidding as a car pulled out in front of me onto Main Street.

"Sonny!" I exclaimed as soon as I caught my breath.

"Sorry," She said quietly, pulling her legs up and tucking her knees under her chin.

"S'okay." I said weakly. "I just... argh, why didn't you tell me earlier?" She glanced at me under her lashes, and I swear my heart stopped. _Not the time, so not the time..._

"I had another call, remember?" She mumbled, giving me the most pathetic, heart-breaking expression I'd ever seen. "Forgive me?"

"Course I do," I said gently. She gave me a half-smile. "How is he?" I asked hesitantly.

"Concussed." She offered glumly. "But it could've been worse... Oh, so much worse..."

"He's okay, Sonshine." I reassured her. If there was one thing I remembered about Blake Munroe, it was his apparent invincibility. The dude fell out the window once and got away with nothing but a broken arm.

"I hope so..." She murmured. She leaned back and closed her eyes. I kept quiet; she looked exhausted. I smiled as I heard her breathing deepen. She looked peaceful for the first time in days.

_D/I/K/Y_

SPOV

"My cast wants me to meet them at Wall-Mart. Apparently there's a big one a few miles down this highway." I told Chad.

"Mmh." He grunted. I gave him a worried glance. We'd been on the road for four or five hours, and he didn't look good.

"I think we should meet them." I told him.

"'Kay." He mumbled, his eyelids drooping.

"Chad, did you get _any_ sleep last night?" I asked, exasperated. My own mini-nap was wearing off fast.

"Shhh. I just need some coffee." He snapped. I rolled my eyes.

After about ten minutes, I caught sight of the familiar sign. Chad didn't look like he'd seen it (based on his glazed expression) so I yelled, "Chad, pull over!"

"Mmh- wha-? Oh, right, okay." He pulled over, narrowly missing crashing into a wall.

"Chad." I chided as he reversed, the car jerking unevenly. "Stay in the car." He pulled the key out of the ignition, giving me a sleepy look, trying for disgruntled.

"Why?"

"I'm going to buy you coffee, then come back. _Then_ you can come in, okay?"

"'Kay." He mumbled, leaning his head against the headrest and closing his eyes. "Don't be too long. If I fall asleep properly I won't wake up for a while." I chuckled softly, pulling the keys out of his hand gently and locking the car door behind me.

"Hey, guys!" I greeted my friends.

"Allie!" Tawni said, smiling at me excitedly. "This place is so... so... normal! I've never been anywhere so... normal! Did you know they have _everything_ here? You could _live _here!" She babbled. "If you had low standards," She added on, a little frown playing across her face before she perked up again.

"Okay, who gave Tawni sugar?" I asked, giving her a worried look. Nico and Zora laughed. "Hey, where's Grady?" I asked. Tawni had told me everyone but me was here.

"We had a... _cheese_ emergency." Nico said sombrely. "He's fixin' it." I gave him a look of mock-horror, trying to keep my giggles in. He was being perfectly serious.

"And you let him go on _alone_?" I exclaimed.

"I had to fulfil my duties as... Tawni's tour guide." He said, grinning at our blonde castmate. She smiled sweetly at him. I giggled, wondering when the two of them would wake up and, y'know, _ask each other out_.

I grabbed a trolley and headed in the general direction of the cheese section. **(Lol) **Uneven footsteps and the gentle click of high heels told me Tawni and Nico were following me. I managed to manoeuvre the trolley into the cheese section before I stopped.

"It's insane, really, what you can find in Wal-Mart," I mumbled weakly, seeing Tawni's flabbergasted look.

"Just... so much... _cheese_..." Nico said, staring in awe. I watched in amusement as he ran forward to join his equally cheese-headed best friend. Tawni stood beside me, watching at their ecstasy. Zora caught us up and grabbed Tawni's wrist.

"Tawni! There's fancy French cheese!" Of course, being Tawni (as lovely as she was) the only words that got through were 'Tawni', 'French' and 'fancy'.

"Let's go." She allowed our small castmate to drag her along. I watched my friends, unaware of the affectionate smile on my face.

"Having fun, _Sunshine_?"

"Hey, who-" I started, whipping around as I felt an unfamiliar hand on my shoulder. It took me a second to make out the face behind the sunglasses, hoodie and fake moustache. "_Devon_?"

"That's me." He smirked.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed. "Isn't Wal-Mart too _lower class_ for someone like you?" He rolled his eyes.

"The evil Random threatened me. And I wouldn't be caught _dead_ in Wal-Mart as my_self_. I'm _disguised_, ugly Random."

I glared at him, my hands balling into fists.

"Get your hand off my shoulder." I said quietly. He took his hand away, wiping it on the hoodie and glaring at me like I was some slime he'd found on his shoe.

"_Allison_- I've heard some pretty... _interesting _rumours about you and Chad Dylan Cooper." He stated loudly, his eyes sparkling malice as he got what he wanted; my castmates' attention. They walked back down the cheese aisle, standing at my flanks. Backing me up. _Thanks, guys_, I thought affectionately. Devon gave them disgusted looks before grinning widely.

"Are you _stalking_ me, Devon? Why the flip are you here? Why are you trying to get to me?" I yelled, really hacked off now.

Devon just sniggered and continued, ignoring everything I had just said, "I've got some interesting stories about you and your friends, _Allison_, which I think I'm going to sell to that magazine, oh, what it called? Tween Weekly?"

My friends gasped.

"Are you _sure _you want to go there Devon? Do you really, because-" I started.

"What are you going to do Sonny? I have more power than you can imagine." He chuckled evilly. I always knew there was something disturbed about that boy. Who laughs like that, anyway? Then it hit me. We were in _Hollywood_. Technically.

"You've always underestimated us..." I said solemnly, sniffing. Ha! I looked at his face, and he was falling for it. I turned round and winked at my friends- then leaped for the cheese.

Yes, there I was, wondering; how on earth did I end up in this situation? I was scrambling to grab as much cheesy ammunition I could grab, Tawni grabbing the trolley, Nico some milk and Grady some chocolate sauce. And if that wasn't surreal enough- dude, why was there chocolate sauce along with milk and cheese? "Throw the cheese!" I screamed

"Throw the milk!" Nico laughed

"Throw the chocolate sauce? Why is there chocolate sauce here?" Grady questioned, squirting the brown goo in Devon's face.

"Tawni _AWAY_!" Tawni finished him off by running him over at high speed with the trolley. Man, I wished I'd had a camera. Tawni Hart running with a trolley? Rare sight, I can tell you.

Devon, once he escaped the trolley off doom, ran like the wind- or as fast as he could when he was covered head to toe in the supermarket's finest own brand of Mozzarella.

"Gah!" Devon tripped over a random pile of cheese that had fallen on the floor during the battle.  
I turned to my amazing cast. "High five, guys!"  
"You were so right Sonny! Food shopping is fun! I'm coming with you next time." Tawni laughed.

Of course, as expected, it resulted us getting thrown out- quite literally too. But at least we got booted out laughing right? And, eh, I'm used to it.

I'd only just noticed we had gathered quite a few onlookers, many of which had astonished faces. When I looked up I recognised only one. Chad. _Oh no._

"What just happened?"He asked, a large coffee in his hand.

Great.

**A/N Kudos to KitKat286 for the last, meh, 500 words or so of this :D The piece she wrote is very, very edited in places BUT STILL. 'Twas GENIUS. **

**Heheh, this is the longest chapter I've written in ages! It's on its ninth page. Eeep! Minus authors notes, its still over 4,000 words long!**

**On a slightly worse note; the chances of me doing this kinda shebang again next week are slim to none, as next Wednesday – Friday I'm doing my Winter exams. *sighs* I'm pretty much freakin' out, so please pray for me :) and KitKat286 too, cos she's doing her exams as well (we're in the same class :P)**

**Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who reviews. You guys mean the world to me! And remember... reviews ARE love ;)**

**Hope you loved the chapter :) I love seeing you guys happy *heart***

**Hannah xo**


	59. Electric Silences

**A/N Hello, amazing readers! *dodges brick* ...yes, I realize its been a while... *bows head in shame* But, to those of you who've read 'our deepest apologies', you can kinda understand, right? *puppy eyes* and to those of you who haven't... *deep breath* bereavement is kinda rough *face plants a pillow***

**BUT I'm back and ready to _write_! Whoo... ;)**

**And guess what guess what? I actually planned out this chapter! (sort of) I never to that, heh... AND I've written out the prologue to one of my stories I'll be posting after DIKY is done. (even though that may not be for a... while.) it's got a mystery/horror theme going, and I'm SO excited for it, cos it'll be a duo, and the stories will be kinda intertwined ;) Can't tell you any more than that! #heh**

**I'd like to thank EVERYONE who reviewed 'our deepest apologies'. It really, really meant a lot guys, and those reviews made my hard days just a little brighter! Soooo grateful for the support *heart***

**k.98'PeaceOutSuckas: HEY ARGIE. Hi. Hai. I love you. Like. A lot. Too much. THANK YOUUUU for writing me all those stories. My face just gets stuck on smile mode for like four hours every time xD I'd blabber on about their awesomeness for longer, but this a/n is already WAY too long, so... LOVE YOU. Actually, scrap that, I _locve_ you ;) **

**WARNINGS: angst!Sonny and angst!Chad behaving like really big idiots.**

Chapter 58

Electric Silences

[alt. Something Idiotic]

SPOV

As we drove on, leaving the Wal-Mart behind, the car was filled with a thick, static silence. I had, of course, refused to tell Chad any information that was actually pertinent.

"_What just happened?" He asked, a large coffee in his hand. I giggled nervously. _

"_Well, Devon came and was all ick so we attacked him with nearby food items." I said, talking way too fast._

"_Ick how?" Great, just pick up on the part that I didn't want picked up on. Wonderful._

"_Oh, y'know... ick." He gave me his special, reserved only for me, 'cut-the-crap' look. I grimaced. Here, I had two options; flirt until he forgot what he was talking about, or to give him a washed out version. He wasn't getting the full version, because Jenny (and his mom. And me.) would kill him if he got into another fight. As attractive as the former was, my cast were around, and Devon could come back. So I went with the latter._

"_Er, okay, so Devon came up behind me and was all like 'I'm too upper class for this shop!'. Then he started talking really, _really_ loudly, rambling about how he was gonna sell me to the paps or somethin'.. Then we all got cheesed off- heh, cheesed, see what I did there?- and well... I think you saw the rest."_

"_Oh, so that's all?" He raised an eyebrow. I jerked my chin up defiantly. He was _not_ doing this to me._

"_Yep. That's all."_

And that, ladies and gentlemen, brings us to our current electrical silence. Because with us, silence is never just... _silence_. It can be comfortable, when we're just hangin' out like old times, it can be awkward, like that time he blurted I was pretty in a cafeteria full of people, and it can be _static_, when one or both of us is on the verge of exploding, and it's really just the calm before the storm.

I was now in the driver's seat. Chad drank his coffee, his expression torn between pouting petulantly and scowling furiously. I could feel annoyance radiating off him in waves, but he wasn't going to win this one. I wanted to avoid a fight altogether if I could.

It didn't look like that was going to happen.

I concentrated on the read, my annoyance levels stabbing upwards again as it told me to turn left in this really irritating fake American accent.

"Who set it to that _anyway_?" I muttered, stabbing a finger at the little screen irritably. Chad grabbed my hand away from it silently, a look of annoyance still on his face, but his fingers were gentle. My wrist had been pronounced as healed enough for the sling to be taken off so I could drive a little, providing I a) got Chad to swap back when it started to hurt even a _little_ and b) I put the sling back on as soon as a) came about. Even when he was (un)reasonably hacked off, he could still fuss worse than my mom.

He dropped my hand as suddenly as he'd taken it, and as a _really_ irrational feeling of hurt swept through me and I hated a lot of things in that moment. I hated myself, I hated Amy, but most of all... I really, really hated _Joe_.

I hated him for cheating on Julia. Poor, sweet, loving Julia.

I hated him for hitting Chad.

I hated him for _Amy_. For the times, the miserable, _horrible_ times I had spent I had spent being spun and captivated and hurt and broken down.

I hated him for driving me into the arms of Josh Harris, a boy a lot like Joe himself; a lying cheater.

I hated him for making me hate his son when he left.

It felt like I'd never felt hatred so intense in all my life. My heart throbbed, carrying the fury, the hatred through my veins like a poison. My hands clenched on the wheel involuntarily; well, my right hand, anyway. The brace on my hand and wrist was too stiff for me to clench too tightly, which was a good thing, because it kept me from re-breaking my wrist. I bit down on my lip hard; the last time I'd been this angry...

I didn't want to go there. Because it was bad. It was really, very bad.

"Sonny!" Chad's hands grabbed at the wheel, and I blinked rapidly as he jerked it towards himself. He took off his seatbelt with a loud _snap_, allowing him to stretch one of his long legs over and stomp on the brakes. The car screeched to an abrupt halt.

"What the-? Sonny, you could have killed us!" He yelled. I sat, totally silent, staring straight ahead, my hands clenched into loose fists in my lap. I knew we were probably still in imminent danger; the car having come to a dead stop in the middle of a long highway leading towards Las Vegas, but I didn't find myself caring. I looked at my best friend, through him. I couldn't really see him, not in this state. Instead, I found my mind pulled back, _back_ reminiscing another time me and Chad had driven a car...

_*Flashback*_

_I glared at my mother across the hall._

"_Leave me alone!" I snarled._

"_Sonny Munroe, don't talk to me like that!" She scolded. I ignored her. She couldn't tell me what to do! With her puffy red eyes and tired face she looked pathetic. I didn't care. My father was dead. I didn't care about anything._

"_Whatever. I'm out of here." I snapped, storming towards the front door and threw it open._

"_Don't you dare, young lady-"_

_The door slammed behind me before she could finish her sentence._

_/d/i/k/y/_

"_I am so _sick_ of her!" I complained to Chad, pounding the thick grass with my fist. He nodded._

"_I'm pretty sick of my parents myself," He agreed, glaring at the floor. He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me into his side protectively. I relaxed slightly under his touch. It was the only thing that calmed how I felt anymore; the explosive, uncontrollable fury I felt nearly all the time. It had been two months since my father's death, and I'd slid rapidly from depression into a rage that only Chad seemed able to rival. _

_My shoulders tensed. Chad noticed this and kissed my cheek gently, silently telling me to calm down. It worked, and he leaned us back against the fence. I melted into his side, and drooped my head on his shoulder, my energy abiding along with my anger. We were sitting at the edge of the park, taking for granted the shade provided by the trees above. It was late June, and hot. My eyelids were starting to get heavy, and I found myself leaning against my best friend's chest rather than the fence. He had both arms wrapped around me now, and it felt nice despite the heavy summer heat._

"_Sometimes, I just want to run away." I confessed quietly. I always told Chad everything, and this had been running through my mind a lot recently._

"_Me too." Chad said, even more quietly. I wouldn't have heard him if his face wasn't buried somewhere in my hair. This, more than anything surprised me. Not his proximity, but his response. I'd sort of imagined Chad as shocked, or even alarmed. I'd never suspect that he wanted out, like I did._

_I pushed away from his chest, but not fair enough for his arms to release me._

"_Why don't we then?" I asked, an odd feeling bubbling up in my chest- a mix of relief, hope- and fear. "Why don't we just get the hell out of here together?"_

_Chad didn't talk for a moment. He kissed the top of my head, then both my cheeks._

"_Let's do it."_

_d/i/k/y_

_It was two weeks later when we carried out the plan. Since my dad's... death, Chad and I had been spending more time together than ever- we spent most weekends at each other's houses, because suddenly a four hour plane ride seemed a lot less scary in comparison to the bigger terror; dealing with everything without each other. I lived for the weekends._

"_You ready?" He whispered to me as I staggered off the plane into the Texan heat. I grinned up at him. _

"_If you are." I smirked._

_d/i/k/y_

_The plan was simple;_

_Shove as much clothes, food and money in a rucksack as possible._

_1. Find a tool kit._

_2. Go carjacking._

_3. Use the Google printouts to figure out how to drive._

_and_

_4. Leave._

_The only difficult part in the plan was driving the car. Carjacking was easy. We had experience, if you counted all the times we'd hid in our previously locked relative's cars. We'd even started them a couple times._

_The jacking went smoothly, and soon Chad was edgily reversing Uncle Joe's car out of the drive._

"_Calm down, Goldie." I said breezily, rolling down the window enough to let my fingers push through the gap and feel the cool breeze._

"_Easy for you to say." He muttered, but there was a huge smirk on his face. When we were on an empty road, Chad shakily pulled us over and we stepped out of the car. I stripped off my hoodie, grateful for the light t-shirt I was wearing underneath. I piled my hair into a messy ponytail, and pulled out the now-needed equipment out of the boot;_

_Spray paint._

_Black spray paint._

_I chucked Chad a can and pulled two out for myself, tucking one into the back pocket of my denim shorts. We shook the cans._

"_3... 2... wait!" Chad cut himself off. I glanced over at him, and he was doing something in the front of the car. He emerged, a satisfied grin on his face as familiar music started to blare._

"_I see a red door and I want it painted black..." The song played, and I turned it up even louder as we started spraying the car._

_By the time we reached the back of the car we were singing along. Loudly._

"I look inside myself and see my heart is black,

I see my red door, and it has been painted black,

Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts,

It's not easy facin' up when your whole world is black..."

_The song played on and we laughed, a little hysterical. We used up eight or nine cans of paint before we were done, and it looked good. Chad handed me sunglasses, grinning lazily. I wrapped my arms around him._

"_This feels right." I told him._

_It was a lie, of course. But I didn't know it at the time. Chad hugged me tight for a second before suggesting we get into the car._

"_C'mon, the faster we start to leave, the farther we'll be gone, and the harder it will be for anyone to catch up."_

_d/i/k/y_

_We didn't get far, of course. The sun was starting to set, the sky streaked with purple and orange, when a siren blared behind us._

"_Oh, maldita sea!" Chad grumble under his breath. He glanced at the highway rules, which he had stuck to the inside of the window. He indicated. I jolted._

"_Don't pullover!" I insisted._

"_We're getting caught either way." He snapped back. The car was gaining on us. I sighed as we got out of the car._

_Chad's Uncle Graeme smirked at us. "Oh, you two, are in _so_ much trouble."_

For some reason, despite how awful it had felt at the time, I found myself chuckling, if a little darkly. We'd ended up grounded for two months after an hour long lecture about being responsible and the fact that we needed to shape up.

"Sonny?" Chad shook my shoulder roughly.

I finally managed to focus on his face. His blue eyes were alarmed.

"Don't space out on me like that," He scolded. "And really, really don't finish your space out by giggling manically. I'm not sure whether to call a mental hospital or slap you." He fumed.

"I had an epiphany." I said snarkily. He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" He asked. A challenge.

"I realized how much I hated your father." Only when the words spilled out of my mouth did I realize they would hurt him; he flinched like I'd slapped him, but his expression was hard.

"Yeah, I can see where you might get that view." He commented. Guilt washed through me; Chad didn't need to be reminded of the asshat. I touched his cheek lightly.

"It's okay for you to hate him." I heard myself say. He looked at me.

"Is it?" His tone made me stop.

"I don't know." I admitted. He gave a half smile.

"Neither do I." We sat in silence for about ten minutes, before something occurred to me.

"Hey, Chad?"

"Mmh?"

"My wrist hurts. I think you should drive." For some reason, this made him smile. Possibly because he saw through my lie, to see my true intent; to provide him with a distraction.

As we started down the long highway again, Chad turned the radio on.

"Hey, Sonny?" I gave him a small smile. "What were you gigglin' at earlier, anyway?"

A full-blown grin crossed my face as the radio presenter announced the next song.

"_I have to turn my head until my darkness goes..."_

"I was thinking of the time we painted it black."

The highway faded behind us, along with the sunlight and our laughter.

_D/I/K/Y_

CPOV

"Dear, Chad.

I hope you're keeping well. It wouldn't do for you to have a little... accident, now would it?

Hayley is asking questions, Chad. She found a blood smear in your room. Didn't I tell you to clean all the mess up, you ignorant prat?

Make her questions stop...

Or I will.

Love, Dad.

_PS_ See you in Vegas.

**A/N Well... I actually had more planned to happen in this chapter. Seriously. But its two thirty am and I just realized I need to finish my science homework. And hey; over 2,500 words is a decent chapter length, right? *puppy eyes***

**I love you guys! I hope you liked the little glimpse into post-funeral Channy. That's just a little taste of what's to come; post-funeral Channy were idiots. Angsty idiots, but idiots all the same ;)**

**Review cos... y'know. Reviews are love *heart***

**Hannah xo**

**PS I've started the new SNST chapter! Be excited. I have inspiration ;D**


	60. Viva Las Vegas

**A/N AHHHHH. THIS WAS GOING TO BE UP TUESDAY. I SWEAR IT WAS. But at 00.17 Tuesday morning, my gorgeous new netbook decided to go **_**kerplunk! **_**and die on me AND DIKY WASN'T SAVED. And I was like 2,000 words in... needless to say, that kind of killed my spirit. I REALLY LIKED THAT DRAFT OF THIS CHAPTER TOO.**

**Anyway... *sighs***

**k.98'PeaceOutSuckas- anfskdfsafbgh. I love you. Never change. Keep writing! *heart* I LOCVE YOU REGARDLESS 4EVER.**

**LaLaLaLaLaAlicee- Everyone does. He's a creepy dude. And trust me, when Julia finds out what he's been doing to her baby... Let's just say Chad doesn't get his ass-kicking protective instinct from nowhere ;)**

**DEAR ALL. I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER.**

**Because I doubt I will.**

**Dearest '111'. Your insults suck. Most of my readers disagree with you, so don't bother your little fingers flaming. The 1,202 reviews overrule you.**

Chapter 59  
Viva Las Vegas

We arrived in Vegas at two in the morning. _Two in the morning._ Between stopping for snacks, slamming on the brakes for a flashback/confrontation type thing and the mess at Wal-Mart, me and Sonny had set ourselves considerably behind everyone else.

In a way, it was kind of worth it though; Vegas set against the night (or early morning) sky was really something worth seeing. The car wasn't close enough for the lights to be blinding and tacky; they glowed, like some kind of palace. Something straight out of a fairy-tale rather than a tourist nightmare. (**I mean nothing against Vegas. That line comes from me watching too much CSI.)** Sonny would love it.

Speaking of my best friend...

"Sonny, wake up." I poked her ribs, hoping for something other than an unintelligible grunt. I was disappointed. "C'mon, Sonshine, don't you wanna see the pretty view? It's awesome, if I do say so myself. Just wake _up_!" I shook her shoulder this time, a shadow of doubt in the back of my mind. She hadn't accidentally taken the stupid sleeping pills had she?

I reached down and pushed the lever on the side of her seat. It shot backwards, and she yelled out loud as she was shocked awake.

"What the-?" She rubbed her head, not fully opening her eyes, and pushed the seat forwards again. "Wha's goin' on?" She slurred sleepily.

"Sonshine, we're nearly there." I whispered excitedly. Her eyes fluttered open, then widened as she took in the spectacular view.

"Wow..." I couldn't help but agree with her. The lights shone bright like a beacon, and it, along with the sudden traffic, was a welcome sight after endless highways. I felt her fingers thread through mine, and I squeezed her hand.

"I know." Our fight was momentarily pushed aside in the peace of the moment. The car in front of me moved forward and I jolted the car into drive.

"What time is it?" She asked in a whisper.

"Two am," I whispered back. She settled her head back against the seat.

"It's so _late_. Where are we supposed to be staying, anyway?" She yawned.

"Uh, hang on... lemme check..." I tapped the little screen of the GPS and frowned. "It doesn't say." Sonny stiffened.

"What do you mean, it doesn't say?" She looked horrified.

"I mean, the little blue line indicating where we go ends..." I drove forwards, up into the streets of Las Vegas, the masses of lights now glaring directly above us, "ends... here."

Oh, no.

"So, what you're saying is... you don't know where to go?" I ducked my head.

"Pretty much."

"What are we going to _do_?" She groaned, rubbing a hand across her forehead. I bit my lip. "Who can we call? Not Jenny, that wouldn't be fair. Who'd be awake?"

"I don't think we should call _anyone_."

"What?"

"Sonny, how embarrassing would it be? Plus, none of the guys would be awake, from my experience." She stared at me.

"What do _you_ suggest we do, then?"

"Find a decent hotel and stay the night." It was the only option, really.

My pessimistic best friend was not inclined to agree.

"Find a- Chad, are you crazy? Have you never _seen_ CSI? We don't know our way around this place! We could end up anywhere, _anywhere_, and we wouldn't know what kind of risk we were taking! We could be attacked, we could die! What if we die Chad, huh? What would be do _then_? Why would you even- gah! There's no other option, is there?" Her tone was a little hopeful, but her face looked defeated. I struggled not to let my amusement at her ranting show.

"Nope."

"Meh. Well, make sure it's not too crappy, then. Wake me up when you find a place." She made a show of resting her head back and closing her eyes. I rolled my eyes.

"You're so _cranky_ when you're tired." I commented. Her eyes snapped open to glare at me and I smiled at her innocently.

"I do try, Munroe, I do try."

xo

After about forty minutes of driving around and squinting at hotels, I finally slowed the car down. This one was one of few I'd noticed didn't have a barely dressed couple making out in front of it, or a casino attached. Okay, maybe a _little_ one, but they were mostly just slot machines, not the big fancy-ass kind.

"We're here." I said to Sonny.

"Mmh." She mumbled, her eyes not opening.

"I said, we're-"

"I heard you the first time." She snapped, and gingerly pushed the door open. I could see her shiver as the cold air flashed through the car. She heaved herself out, grabbing the door for support as her knees attempted to give out from underneath her.

"Stupid leg cramps," I heard her mutter as I joined her on her side of the car. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and supported some of her weight as we stumbled towards the door.

"Room for two? No worries, kid, I get paid not to notice." The peroxide-blonde receptionist stated. I glared at her.

"We don't want a room for two, lady!" Her eyebrows, dark in contrast to her hair which made the dye look even cheaper, shot up her forehead.

"So one bed, then?" She smirked.

If looks could kill, then, my eyes would have burned a hole through her.

"No, a bed each." Sonny snarked, her voice muffled from where her face was pressed idly into my shoulder.

"Normal, then." The blonde said sarcastically. She typed absently, staring up at us with some kind of interest.

"We're on a road trip," I supplied.

"Runaways?" She wondered, slapping a key down on the desk and pushing it towards me. I smiled, taking it.

"Maybe once, but not today." I said, grinning. Peroxide-Blonde raised her eyebrows again at my cryptic sentence. I threw some notes on the counter, not checking the amount. I didn't have anything bigger than a twenty, anyway.

I pulled Sonny along to our room, but as soon as we were through the door, I let go of her, and threw myself down on the nearest bed.

I fell asleep in seconds, still fully dressed.

xo

SPOV

Insomnia was striking.

I rolled over in bed, feeling my heart beat and my uneven breathing echoing in my ears. I wanted nothing more than to sleep.

But I couldn't.

I folded my arms, and tucked my legs up against my stomach, curling myself into as tight a ball as possible.

Anything to keep me from getting up.

Because running to my best friend for comfort really wasn't acceptable anymore. We were seventeen, not eight. It wasn't really... platonic... enough now. I was a big girl. I should've been able to sleep.

But apparently not.

I groaned into my pillow. It was useless.

I was wide, wide awake.

I felt around blindly for my phone, then dropped it on my face in an attempt at seeing the time. **(because we've all done that at some point.) **It was after four.

"GAH!" I groaned, pulling the covers up to my nose and shutting my eyes as tight as possible. Chad's obnoxiously loud snores echoed through the wall.

*five minutes later*

"Oh, screw it..."

xo

CPOV

People would think I'd be, like, surprised or something to find myself in this particular situation.

But I wasn't.

No, the fact that Sonny Munroe was curled up in a small ball at the foot of my bed wasn't really that surprising. I hadn't stayed asleep the _whole_ night, and her grunts of sleep-deprivation-induced frustration were pretty loud and hard to ignore.

Her thick eyelashes fluttered as she started to wake up, and her mouth let out a huge yawn. Her brown eyes were bleary and tired and her mascara was rubbed around them. I was pretty sure I had a dopey smile on my face as I watched her, but I was too happy watching to care.

"Mornin' Sonshine," I said in a sing-song voice, my lips slipping from stupid grin to annoying smirk as a number of sarcastic comments about her current position on my bed instead of in her own crossed my mind.

"Cha-a-d?" She yawned again, giving me a blank look.

"Yeah, little Miss sleepover initiator," I teased. Her tired eyes rested on my face in a way that made my stomach squeeze uncomfortably and all the annoying lines in my head slipped away. I patted her cheek awkwardly. "I'll call Jenny," I muttered, getting out of bed and pulling my phone out.

xo

SPOV

Some time, phone calls, Spanish swear words and a lecture later, me and Chad had joined everyone else in the hotel cafe for a lunch. We'd apparently slept straight through breakfast.

As soon as Jenny finished yelling at us, Tawni and Zora each grabbed one of my arms and yanked me towards the Random table. I was pushed, none too gently, mind, into a chair at the head of the table, giving everyone a clear view of my face.

"Explain." Tawni growled, straight to the point. I had a fair feeling this was why she was starting; she wouldn't beat around the bush, unlike Zora, and she didn't generally melt when given the Munroe puppy eyes, like Grady _and_ Nico would.

"What is there to explain?" I asked, buttering a scone.

"What were you doing with Cooper, in a hotel, _by yourselves_?" She hissed, her blue eyes cold. I rolled my eyes and took a bite of my scone.

"Guys, it's nothing like you're thinking," I said once I'd swallowed, faintly disgusted.

"What, then?"

"We arrived at two in the morning. Didn't you _all_ have to call Jenny to find the hotel?" I asked calmly, pouring myself orange juice.

"No, it was marked on the GPS! And everyone was supposed to be in Vegas by ten," Tawni snapped, her voice accusing by the end. I was taken by surprise.

"Really? Our GPS thing ended in Main Street." That was really weird.

"That doesn't explain why you two were so late." Zora said, a suspicious look on her little face. **(In case no one has noticed, I sort of dote on Zora. Blame 'Sonny with 100% Chance of Meddling'.) **I took a deliberate swig of my drink. After the Wal-Mart excursion, and our fight afterwards, neither of us had been paying attention to the time. And we'd made half a ton of pitstops, not including the random stop in the middle of the road.

"We stopped a lot," I shrugged.

"Why?"

"Do you really think me and Chad could survive straight fifteen hours in a car together?" I snorted.

"You stopped in Wal-Mart with us!"

"The point still stands." I said firmly, pouring myself more juice. "And as I said, the hotel wasn't marked on our GPS. It was two o'clock in the morning, we were both knackered, and we had seperate rooms." I said, starting to get aggravated. Why wouldn't they just believe me?

"You could've called, Allie." Grady's kind blue eyes were hurt. "We're supposed to be your friends."

I felt a spasm of guilt, but quickly squashed it as Nico gave me a reassuring smile. The brief relief was, however, also squashed as I caught Tawni's still-suspicious look, and as Grady reached out to touch my hand.

I wasn't gentle as I jerked my hand away.

xo

CPOV

The Randoms came down on Sonny a lot harder than the Falls kids came down on me. Only Chastity and possibly Devon looked skeptical at my explanation- but Chastity pretty much thought she had us figured out, and Devon thought I was insane, anyway.

We were given a lot of free, individual time, though, because Jenny correctly judged it would be too much to ask for everyone to be civil after spending about fifteen hours alone with their respective partners. I could see Randoms and Falls kids giving the stink eye across the room during dinner. The small Random, Zora, looked particularly smug as Devon glowered at her.

"Are you kidding me?" I heard Sonny yell. Yeah_, yell_. All the other Randoms I'd already seen grouped around what looked like a chocolate fountain, so it wasn't them she was talking to. I dug my hands in my pockets and kept walking. She soon came into view, pacing near the corner of the lobby. She had the pay-phone pressed firmly against her ear.

What was wrong with her own phone, huh?

I ignored the small voice at the back of my mind, which was whispering something about pay-phones being virtually untraceable.

"He _can't_ still be all concussed! I need him thinking clearly!" Sonny wailed. For all her mysterious sulking, the girl wasn't taking too many precautions about people actually _hearing_ her. Several people were shooting her odd looks.

"No, _no_ Cameron! I need to talk to him! She- she tried to call me again." I'd moved to being a few feet behind her now, so I could hear her clearly despite her dropping to a nearly inaudible whisper.

"It's her, Cam, I know it is! I _need_ Blake!" She cried, rubbing her forehead, a familiar motion for when she was... upset.

She talked to her brother for about another five minutes, but the _she_ didn't turn up again and I didn't find anything out. Finally, she hung up the phone, sighing desolately.

"This sucks." She whimpered, turning around and starting to walk in the other direction- only to walk straight into my chest.

"What does, huh?" I said in a low voice. She staggered back a step, something scarily like fear in her eyes as they flew open. Her wide brown eyes locked on mine and I stared her down.

I grabbed her arm, a feeling of conviction sweeping through me suddenly, like someone had flipped a switch. I looked her straight in the eyes, feeling, for the first time, like I was ready to _really _confront her.

"We need to talk,"

**A/N AHGH. This chapter is crap. CRAP. It took tooo long and I'm so sorry! Obviously, it got delayed for the reason mentioned above, but then I procrastinated... a lot. I'M SORRRRRRYYYYYYY!**

**I love you guys :( this chappie **_**would**_** have been longer, but I have school and it's nearly 2am. Is this irony speaking? Har de har.**

**Random side note- in the first draft of this chapter, Sonny resisted her urge to run to Chad. **

**Please review! I need to know what y'all are thinkin' ;) and after all...**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE!**

**Hannah xo**

**PS I'm still stuck on WordPad. Please excuse my typos.**


	61. Michaels Mix

**A/N Guess what? As of Saturday 18th of February, I had been on FanFiction for ONE YEAR! *blows party popper* Eep! No words can describe how much I love this sight, and all YOU gorgeous people *heart* AND on Friday 17th, it was my birthday! Yay, it was like Hannah Holiday Week :D**

**randomsmileyperson; why do I never reply you? I suck. You rock. You have reviewed every chapter of this whole entire story and I love your reviews. Okay? Okay. And EEP! You're from Scotland? My big sister goes to uni in Scotland, heehee... :)**

**k.98'PeaceOutSuckas; my replies to you suck lately. Argie, I loooveee you! Okay, first; I wanna read more of Immortal. Soon, please ;) Second- how are you? Homework IS evil, I agree. I had a ton of Physics this week and my head was melted -_- Don't worry. You'll find about Amy... in due time! *evil laugh* *clears throat* er, where were we? ;D**

**LaLaLaLaLaAlicee; I know right? Shame on Channy -_-**

**RosalieandEmmett5126; thank you :) and I love your username. Emmett is an epic teddy bear and Rosalie is the most realistic of the female characters. She's not all epic and cute like Alice and she's not a Mary-Sue like Bella xD**

**EYELiNeRLUvEr2411; glad you like it! And QTO fully deserves that top spot. MusicChannySkyscraper rawks :D**

**This chapter is dedicated to tiamat100 for leaving an awesome review that made me smile like a full idiot :P**

**Oh, and I warn you; frequent use of the word 'bitch,'. I'm sorry, I couldn't resist xD**

**PS; hey, all that fluff y'all have been missing? Read on... ;)**

Chapter 60

Michaels Mix

Maybe it was because I knew her so well, but I had a feeling a total stranger could see that Sonny was not happy.

In fact, she looked kinda ready to punch me in the face.

"About what?" She asked, her tone very calm. 'I'm-about-to-kill-you' calm.

"_Her_. Blake. Whatever's freaking you out so badly."

She jerked her arm out of my grip.

"Why should I tell you anything?" She huffed, turning around and stalking away. I glared at her back. _Not__this__time,__Munroe_ I thought, storming after her.

"Hey! I'm not done." I snapped. I felt a few eyes turn to us but I ignored them. She spun around, glaring at me.

"Really? Well, I am!" She spun towards the door, walking more quickly now. I followed her out, letting the door swing shut behind us. "Why are you following me?"

"Told you. We need to talk." Her steps slowed as we left the hearing range of random on-lookers, but she didn't stop. I sighed. "This isn't fair on either of us, Sonny."

She turned around so fast I took a step back.

"_Hipócrita__!__"_ She snapped. In Spanish. Spanish, huh?

"Hypocrite? Really? You honestly believe that?"

"I believe you're hiding just as much as I am." She said flatly, moving away from me as quickly as her legs could carry her. Which was pretty fast, considering the fact she was pretty short.

"That's ridiculous." I muttered, even though it was true. I followed her into a clump of trees. She sat down, burying her head into her hands.

"I am so _sick_ of you, Chad." She muttered when I sat next to her on the damp grass. She raised her head enough that I could see her eyes, which were dark with annoyance. "You can't be so self-righteous when we're liars. We're _both_ liars. It's not just me." I settled my elbows on my knees, suddenly feeling very worn out. Suddenly, I could feel every bruise and every cut on my skin. **(Listening****to****Bad****Day****by****Daniel****Powter...****and****it...****somehow****inspired****that****:P)**

"When did we start living like this?" Sonny asked me, her voice shaking a little. "When did we turn into walking, breathing... _lies_?"

I blinked as it started to rain. "I don't know." I whispered.

When had it happened, really? Because I'd been lying to her for a long, long time. Somewhere between bereavement, divorce, and the occasional punch in the face, I'd started to _lie_.

"We're best friends, Chad." She whispered. "We've known each other for nine _years_. What _are_ we?"

It hurt most because she really didn't know. Argument forgotten, she looked at me with hopeless eyes, rain hitting her cheeks like tears. I felt frozen.

"I... I dunno."

She turned to look at me, the slightly desperate look in her eyes leaving me floored. "What is it?" I whispered.

"If I told you the truth, would you do the same?" She asked, her brown eyes fixing onto my blue ones. I wanted to know. I _needed_ to know.

I hesitated.

Her eyes bored into mine, and slowly, so slowly, I nodded.

And we told each other most everything.

xo

"Okay, guys, remember- the studios putting a lot of trust in us here, so be responsible! Have fun, and stay safe." Jenny said in farewell. I gripped tighter onto Sonny's arm, and she gave me an odd look. Girl looked perfectly confidant, the polar opposite of how I was feeling. I wasn't... quite... sure how we'd ended up in one of those 'alcohol free' (snort) teen clubs, but I wasn't sure whether to be happy at finally getting grant this amount of freedom or terrified of the homicide(s) my mom/assorted concerned relatives were sure to commit when they found out.

"Cha-_ad_, don't be such a spoil-sport!" Sonny sang, pulling me along behind her. Jenny had given us strict orders to stay together, and after me and Sonny's little truth-spilling session earlier, I didn't want her more than ten feet away from me anyway. I slid my hand down her arm and intertwined our fingers as we walked towards the thumping music. I pushed Sonny into a seat then sat down beside her. She stared around, her eyes bright. I could see Marta and Devon pretty much grinding, while Tawni and Nico smiled dopily at each other. "Aren't they _adorable_?" Sonny gushed, following my eyes. I shrugged.

"If you say so." She poked my arm, smiling.

"C'mon, Chad, I _know_ you think they're cute. Just admit it. I already know you're a dork, okay? Just let your dork side out." She babbled. I rolled my eyes, then glanced at the pair on the dance floor.

"I suppose so." I admitted.

"Victory!" She beamed. "Ha, I _knew_it!" I snorted.

"Are you high or something?" She narrowed her eyes at me playfully.

"The energy here is sooo contagious!" She smiled at me again, then her eyes lit up. "Ohhh, I'm gonna go dance!" She giggled, and bounced out of her seat. I rolled my eyes, distinctly remembering her flat out rage at the very _thought_of dancing on the way here.

"Wait-" I started, but she was already gone, skipping towards the dance floor. Considering how close we'd been sitting to hear each other just _talking_over the thudding music, I was pretty sure calling after her was a lost cause. I watched as her friends pulled her in and they started dancing. Even from where I was sitting I could hear her squeal of "Oh, I _love_ this song!" as the song changed to something I recognised.

_Now you're gone_

_I realized my love for you was strong_

_And I miss here now you're gone_

_I keep waiting here by the phone  
With your pictures hangin' on the wall_

Now you're gone  
I realize my love for you was strong  
And I miss you here, now you're gone  
I keep waiting here by the phone  
With your pictures hangin' on the wall

Is this the way it's meant to be  
Only dreaming that you're missing me  
I'm waiting here at home  
I'll go crazy

_Now you're gone  
There's an empty place in my heart  
Without my Anna it will break apart  
It won't heal it never fades away  
I will think about you everyday..._

Sonny and Basshunter? I grinned at the sight of her dancing. Once the song was over, she hugged Tawni and bounced back over to me.

"Let's go get a drink, it's boiling in here." She giggled at my face. "Oh, chill out! It's meant to be alcohol free, we can just buy some Cokes and we'll be sweet." She tugged me towards the bar. I eyed the guy pouring drinks sceptically. He gave her an enthusiastic smile.

"Diet Coke, please." She smiled at him. I kept my face neutral as he turned to me, looking a lot less excited.

"Coke, dude." I said coolly. He bent below the counter to grab some glasses, then turned his back to us as he poured the drinks. "He looks suspicious," I whispered to Sonny. She, characteristically, rolled her eyes, not believing me. The drinks guy turned back towards us, smile fixed back in place. He slammed a glass down on the table. I took it to be my drink, and took a gulp, ignoring the sharp tang that accompanied it. The glass probably wasn't clean. I narrowed my eyes at him as he set a second glass down, much less forcefully, and slid it towards my brown eyes best friend. I took my wallet out, sliding a possessive arm around her waist. Bar-guy's eyes widened slightly. I felt Sonny giggle silently as we walked away.

"What?" I asked, grinning as she laughed.

"You're such... a... dork!" She kept giggling until she snorted, causing _me_ to laugh.

"Oh, very attractive." I said playfully. She patted my hand, which still rested on her waist.

"I know I am," She said coyly, and I nearly choked on my drink.

xo

"Wanna dance?" Sonny yelled at me, over the music that seemed to have gotten louder.

"Sure!" I yelled back, ignoring the little voice in the back of my mind telling me it was a bad idea. What was so bad about dancing? Sonny was my _best__friend._ She whooped and dragged me towards the dance floor. I could literally feel the temperature increase as we pushed between groups of furiously dancing people. She pushed her fingers through mine as she pulled me towards a small gap, where it would be less claustrophobic. I cheered as an obnoxious Far East Movement song ended and something much more on my side of music came on.

_I'm gonna make it bend and bre-e-eak_

_(It sent you to me without wings)_

_Say a prayer but let the good times roll_

_In__case__God__doesn't__show__oh_**[1]**

_Let the good times roll, let the good times roll_

_And I want these words to make things right,_

_But it's the wrongs that make the words come to life_

_If that's the worst you got, better put your fingers back to the keys..._

Sonny caught my eyes and we grinned. This was an old favourite for both of us, but I doubted anyone would be expecting it when we starting singing along to it. Loudly.

_One night and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories, _

_Even though they weren't so great_

_He tastes like you, only sweeter_

_One night, yeah, and one more time_

_Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories_

_He, he tastes like you, only sweeter..._

When the song ended, Sonny collapsed into me, laughing. I caught her around the waist, barely standing myself. The whole situation just felt hilarious, and I couldn't stop _laughing._

And that stopped me from noticing the eyes watching us.

xo

TPOV

I couldn't say it as a _fact_, but I was pretty sure Chad and Allie were... tipsy.

And by tipsy, of course, I mean they were completely blitzed-out-of-their-heads drunk.

How could Allie _do_ this? She was going to her ass fired from the show, and then what would we do? We'd be short a cast member!

And _I_ would be short a best friend!

...Not that I'd admit that. Ever.

I watched, incredulous, as Chad and Allie stumbled around, 'dancing' together, glasses in hand. The two hadn't been more than a few feet apart all night and it was freaking me out. Of course, Jenny had said to stick with our partners, but who _ever_listened to that?

Well... Chad and Allie... when I thought about it... I was about to go over and pull them the _heck_ apart (because co-dependency is like, really unhealthy) when my phone started vibrating in my bag. I pulled it out and shuffled off the dance floor.

"Hello?" I yelled, plugging my ear in an attempt to hear what was being said on the other end.

"Tawni, Mr Condor just forwarded me a text- everyone has to get together and get to know one another. Pull some tables together and chat." I listened harder, convinced I'd heard her wrong.

"_What_?"

"Bond, Hart. Bond."

"_Darn_ it!" I muttered. How the flip was I gonna pull _this_off?

My phone vibrated with a text message. I looked at it, aggravated.

_From: Condor Info_

_To: You_

_Bonding time! Everyone pull up a chair, and get to know each other a little better. NO excuses for ducking out! Consider yourselves fired if you can't participate._

Well... at least they wouldn't think I was making it up.

Wonderful.

xo

"So..." I said awkwardly. Everyone stared at me, expressions varying from boredom, to attentiveness and from anger to relief. "Who wants to go first?" I asked brightly. No one said anything. Allie didn't look like she'd heard me; she and Chad were squished in on one seat, and he was playing with her fingers while he stared off into the distance. She was watching their hands silently, an odd, contented look on her face.

"Well, then _I_ will go first," Marta simpered nasally. I swallowed back a stab of dislike and looked at her politely. "Go ahead, ask your questions." I wouldn't have been surprised to hear her tack 'peasants' on to the end of her sentence. Bitch.

"Do you have brothers or sisters?" Chastity asked. I thought it was really sad that her own cast member needed to ask something like that- we, the 'Randoms' were closer than that.

"I have a brother, but we don't talk about him," Marta said, disgust colouring her tone as always.

"Why?" I found myself asking.

"He dropped out of college to do, like, charity work or something. And now he has like, no money, and like, some weird psycho girlfriend who looks like a lesbian." She spat. I snorted. Looked like 'Challie' weren't the only ones who'd been drinking. Marta seemed to have knocked a few too many back herself.

"Nice to know you care so much about your family, Marta." I said. She glared at me.

"Let's hear about _you_ then, you glittery little skank." She snapped. I didn't bother being insulted; Marta liked swearing like, a lot.

"I'm an only child. My dad is a complete legend, but he travels a lot. My mom is great; she's my agent and she's awesome. I have a good home life," I said simply. It seemed easier to just stick with the home life question so everyone answered it. When it got around to Allie and Chad, they shared an unsubtle glance.

"Can we veto the question?" Chad asked politely. Oh, wonderful, now they're 'we'? As in, together? Allie's face was literally pressed into Chad's shoulder in an attempt to hide.

"No, you'll get fired." I snapped. I was curious, so sue me!

"You want me to go first?" Allie whispered. She wasn't as quiet as she was obviously attempting to be; we could all hear her. Her brown eyes were wide, and... sympathetic?

Chad nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Okay, so... My dad died when I was twelve. He was in the army and he died fighting." She paused, bowing her head slightly. Marta snorted, and I shot a glare at her. Bitch. "I have two cool big brothers, Blake and Cameron. My mom is awesome but overprotective. I have like seventeen million cousins. They're all awesome." She babbled. Everyone turned to Chad, who'd gone an odd shade of white. Allie reached over, making no attempt to hide what she was doing, and took his hand. She gave him a little smile and he took a deep breath.

I had to admit, I was curious. Being mad at Allie could wait 'til we were sober.

"My parents got a divorce when I was thirteen. I live with my mom, my sisters, and my step-dad." He rattled off tonelessly, looking uncomfortable. Devon had a big ass smile on his face and I felt temporarily sorry for the blonde teen.

"Why'd your parents divorce, buddy?" He asked, a little evil grin appearing on his face. Chad glowered.

"Veto." He said.

"No!" Devon said, smirking.

"Veto." Chad insisted. Before Devon could argue further, Allie leaned forward, a look of sheer annoyance on her face.

"The challenge was to get to know each other, not to know each other's full freaking back story! Back off and leave him _alone_." She snapped, glaring first at Devon... and then at me. It clicked with me then; the sympathetic looks and comforting touches.

Allie knew what he'd gone through.

And she had a lot more crap in her life than she was letting on, I concluded minutes later, as the question "What was life before Hollywood like?" was directed towards her. She stiffened, and Chad wrapped an arm around her shoulders. I kept expecting her to throw him off like she usually would, but she didn't. She relaxed at the touch.

"Erm, it was... normal. High school, boyfriends, yadde yah." She forced a smile, waving her hand airily.

"Boyfriends? Who'd date _you_?" Marta grouched. Bitch.

"A guy called Josh Harris. It lasted six months." Allie said, a smug smile rising to her lips. Chad looked less than happy.

I always _knew_ he had a crush on her... I watched as they got up to get another drink. They came back a few too many minutes later, Coke bottles in hand.

I couldn't let this go, though.

"You two know an awful lot about each other," I commented, keeping my tone light. Chad took a swig of his Coke and stared at me. Allie had finished off her bottle already and was eyeing Chad's thirstily.

"And?" Chad asked, raising an eyebrow. He rolled his eyes and handed her his bottle, smiling at her. The smile slipped as they both looked at me, Allie's eyes wide and innocent.

"How?" I pressed. Allie gave me a little smile.

"Ha ha, I told you Tawni!" She giggled, taking a drink out of Chad's bottle. "Knew this doofus before Hollywood." She patted Chad affectionately, causing my eyes to nearly pop out of my head.

The Falls kids had clearly not known this.

"You _what_?" Marta exploded. Allie's smile got bigger and she grinned right at the stuck up girl.

"We met when I was seven." She said nonchalantly. I... hadn't been expecting that.

"But you're not friends any more, _right_?" I asked, unable to stop myself glaring at her. Her grin slid to a smirk.

"Of course not, Tawni." She assured me.

"Yeah, I hate the little diva," Chad said, mussing Allie's hair.

"Prove it." Marta whined childishly. Allie's smile gleamed. She leaned forward, like she was sharing some big secret.

"Chad can't cook." She whispered conspiratorially. Everyone looked at the blonde.

"It's true." He shrugged, unabashed. "And Sonny can skateboard." I remembered the time she rode that... thing... to work.

The 'proving' quickly turned into a competition to see which could humiliate the other the most.

"Chad likes chick flicks!" Allie blurted. The furious blush he managed to work up then proved it true. I sniggered.

"Yeah, well... Sonny... likes setting things on fire!" I doubted it.

"Fire is pretty." Allie grinned. "And Chad's a nerd." Chad gave an overly dramatised gasp.

"Sonny recorded a song _and_ a music video when she was eleven!" He yelled. We all went silent, and turned towards Allie.

"Chad! That's supposed to be a secret!" She gasped, looking absolutely mortified.

"Yeah, well, so are a lot of things." He said, throwing her a dark look. She'd outed a _lot_ about him. Stuff I'd never even want to know, like his forever childhood crush on some cartoon.

"I doubt that _that_ has a _music__video_." Marta said disdainfully.

"I can prove it!" Chad yelled. Allie tried to resist as he grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the DJ in charge of the music, but she ended up going with him. Grady was staring after them with a look akin to horror. Nico just looked... cute. Wait... Forget I said that.

"I can not _believe_ you're making me do this!" Allie whined, as they came back towards the table. I tensed. Trouble?

"Aww, you'll be fine." Chad all but _cooed_. "Just drink some more Coke, you'll do awesome.

"Um...?" I said questioningly. Allie ignored me.

"Fine. But only... if you come dance with me." She countered, a wicked smile on her face. Obviously, this was expected to get her out of whatever Chad had coerced her into. Sadly, his smile just got bigger.

"Fine." He agreed.

"I dislike you." She muttered, walking away.

"I know." He grinned. He turned towards us. "Ready for this?" He asked, grinning hugely, before running off after her.

"Kara_oke_ time!" the DJ announced. I fought to stifle giggles as I realized Chad's plan. The two walked up on stage, Chad looking perfectly at ease while Allie seemed to be burning with humiliation. She turned her back to the crowd, waiting.

It all changed once the music started, though.

Some sort of change took over, and she turned and walked up the stage, her face still red but she looked a ton more confidant.

_I __can't __help __myself __but __think __of __what __you've __done __for __me__  
__Day __or __night __it __seems __that __you __are __always __on __my __mind__  
__And __I __know __whenever __I __need __you __near__  
__I __always __feel __that __you __will __be __there __right __by __my __side_

_Your__ love __runs __deep __within __my __soul, __and __I __can't __let __go__  
__You'll __never __leave __me, __because __I __know__  
__That __you __are __the __one __for __me__  
_

Her dance was fairly simple, but it looked _good_. Like she'd practised it a thousand times.

_You're the one who moves me  
You're the one who sees right through me  
You're the one I lean on every night and everyday  
You're the one who makes feel a brand new life that's so unreal  
When I think of you and I, you do  
You're the one who moves me  
Moves me, oh, you move me, you move me  
_

A huge smile took over her face, and I was uncomfortably aware of how she was staring up into Chad's face as she sang.

_What I did without your love is a mystery  
Now I have you, oh I don't, wanna let you down  
Everyday it feels like a dream come true  
And I pray that you will always be around_

_Your love runs deep within my soul, and I can't let go_  
_You'll never leave me, because I know_  
_That you are the one for me_

_You're the one who moves me_  
_You're the one who sees right through me,_  
_You're the one I lean on every night and everyday_  
_You're the one who makes me feel, a brand new life that's so unreal_  
_When I think of you and I, you do_  
_You're the one that moves me,_

_When I am down and all alone_  
_You are the one who cares_  
_When I am weak, you make me strong_  
_And I know that you'll always be there, yeah_  
_Moves me, moves me_

_You're the one who moves me_  
_You're the one who sees right through me,_  
_You're the one I lean on every night and everyday_  
_You're the one who makes me feel, a brand new life that's so unreal_  
_When I think of you and I, you do_  
_You're the one that moves me,_

_You're the one who moves me_  
_You're the one who sees right through me,_  
_You're the one I lean on every night and everyday_  
_You're the one who makes me feel, a brand new life that's so unreal_  
_When I think of you and I, you do_  
_You're the one that moves me_

Chad started clapping as she finished, looking flushed but happy. I joined in the clapping, and eventually so did a lot of other people. Allie gave Chad a furious look. She was mad at him.

It didn't stop her from kissing him, though.

On the lips.

**A/N****Demi****Lovato****really****did****record****a****song****when****she****was****about****eleven.****There's****a****music****video****too,****she's****adorable****:)**http: / www dot youtube dot com/ watch? v=po0nmo BLbe4 **(remove****spaces)**

**So, this chapter- hit or miss? I'm hoping for hit, cos it's nearly 3am, we're pretty sure Channy told each other some home truths, and _uh_, do you need to reread the last paragraph? :D the first section was awkward to write, I finished it after I did the rest of the chapter :P**

**[1] I honestly, honestly, DESPISE that line. Its like yeah, flat out opposite to my faith. But I LOVE that song!**

**In order, the songs in this chapter are 'Now You're Gone' by Basshunter, 'Thnks Fr Th Mmrs' by Fall Out Boy, and 'Moves Me' by Demi Lovato :D **

**Reviews are LOVE!**

**Hannah xo**


	62. Uproar

**A/N Hello! The IMPORTANT author's note is at the bottom, I'mma keep to review replies up here :D**

EYELiNeRLUvEr2411; **haha, glad you like it! QTO is one awesome story :P and don't worry... DIKY isn't over yet!**

randomsmileyperson; **haha, no problem! And I'm happy you liked the chapter; I've wanted to make them kiss forever, and I know everyone's been waiting for it xD**

hi**; well, I AM gonna put their POVs of the kiss in at... some point, but at the minute I'm not, because I have no idea how to do it without using every cliché ever used in FanFiction and c'mon, who wants cliché? This story is already really cliché! Haha.**

k.98'PeaceOutSuckas**; three words- where are you? :(**

**I'm really glad you all liked the last chapter. I liked it too ;)**

Chapter 61

Uproar

TPOV

There was a slightly stunned silence from all around the table.

And then, everything seemed to burst.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Marta yelled, diving out of her seat and towards the stage. Chastity and Portlyn stood up quickly and grabbed one of her arms each, restraining her. She struggled, spitting out swear words and threats. I stood up more slowly than she had, but with equal intentions to slap some bloody sense into our castmates.

"That- that little _slut_-!" Marta snarled. Portlyn covered her mouth and Chastity wrapped an arm around her chest and yanked her back into her seat.

"Shhh, Marta, you're making a scene!" She whispered.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure Romeo and Juliet up there have got that covered," I snorted, jerking my chin towards Allie and Chad, who were still connected at the mouth. I could see camera flashes. Great. They were going to be plastered _all_ over every damn tabloid magazine available, and then they were going to get their asses fired, and that would be the end of not only 'So Random!' but 'Mackenzie Falls' as well.

Stupid.

"Chill, Tawni!" Nico commanded, grabbing my arm. I glanced over at him, gritting my teeth.

"Why? Why should I? Are you _seeing_ this, Nico?" I snapped. He patted my arm gently.

"I am. Do you ever think..." He glanced at his best friend, who was staring at the two on stage with a blank expression. "... that it might be a good thing?" He asked. "I- I mean-" He backtracked at the look on my face.

"How? How in the _world_ would _that_ ever be a good thing?" I exclaimed, pointing at them wildly. "Chad is an asshole, and he's our ENEMY!"My voice rose to a yell, and Nico wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Tawni, have you met our girl? Girl doesn't take crap." He said calmly. I growled in annoyance. "Look, Tawn, she ain't gonna date him. She's got her head on straight, and she's being a big fat flirt. Leave her be. We'll scream at her in the morning," I have a half smile at that. Yeah, Allie was smart. Most of the time. When she wasn't kissing Chad.

"You mean when she's sober?" I smirked. Nico grimaced and nodded.

"Yeah... About that..." I gave him an odd look.

"What?" He looked around carefully.

"I been keepin' an eye on them. They've drank nothing but fizzy drinks all night. They didn't buy any alcohol."

This surprised me. "How come they're hammered, then?" Nico raised his eyebrows at me.

"We're in Vegas, baby. You figure it out," He grinned, adjusting his hat. I couldn't help laughing.

D/I/K/Y

I had to admit, as I downed Allie's abandoned glass of Diet Coke, **(good move Tawni.) **that Allie was a good singer. And dancer. And, from the look on Chad's face as they _finally_ pulled apart, kisser. She patted his cheek playfully before grabbing his hand and dragging him off the stage with her. I ran towards her and threw my arms around her in a sisterly hug, doing my best to shuffle Chad off to the side as I did so.

"That was so _good_!" I yelled. The music was pounding too loud, and I could barely hear myself think now that I'd joined them on the dance floor.

"I know!" She yelled back, too excited to be modest. "And I haven't done that dance since I was like, eleven!"

"You looked like Britney Spears!" I laughed to her. The song changed, and we shared a glance before bursting into giggles.

_Baby, can't you see, _

_I'm calling_

_A guy like you _

_Should wear a warnin'_

_It's dangerous,_

_I'm fallin'_

I grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Chad.

"Dance with meee, Britney!" I pleaded. Allie laughed and nodded.

"You rhymed, Tawniii!" We laughed again, and we danced for what felt like hours before the heavy beat seemed to slow down to softer songs.

"I'm so -_hic_- thirsty, Tawniii," Allie complained.

"You _hiccuped_!" I accused. She giggled.

"I -_hic_- know!"

"Ha ha, your hiccup is funny, Britney," I snorted. "It's like -_hic_- totally squeaky!" Her eyes, already wide with excitement, got even bigger.

"You're -_hic_- doing it -_hic_- too!"

"We seriously -_hic_- need to get -_hic_- something to -_hic_- drink." I said. Allie laughed at me.

"Need something, ladies?" Chad asked, sliding between me and Allie, drinks in each hand. I glared at him in annoyance while Allie giggled.

"Good -_hic_- timing, Chaddy!" She giggled.

"Diet Coke?" He held a glass out to her, smiling beatifically.

"Haa, -_hic_- thank youu, Cha-ad!"

"Anytime,_cariño__,_" He said. She smiled at him flirtatiously, and he smiled like he'd won the lottery. What a dork...

"We-ell, _excusez-moi_, love birds," I sniggered, too amused at Chad's dorky, obviously love-struck face. Allie looked happy enough to flirt with him for a while, so I sauntered off to find Nico.

Third Person POV

Sonny smiled at Chad as she finished her drink.

"Wanna dance?" She asked innocently. He grinned at her.

"Sure,"

As he pulled her close, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Have I told you that you look beautiful, Miss Munroe?" He breathed. She leaned her head back, smiling at him. He stared at her; her dark eyes shined.

"I don't believe you have, Mr Cooper." His arms tightened around her, pulling her as close as he could.

"Well, then. You look beautiful." He whispered, his breath tickling her ear. She laughed, pulling back a little but linking her arms behind his neck.

"Come on, you flirt. Dance with me!"

"Isn't that what we're doing?" He protested jokingly. Sonny was saved from having to dignify that with a reply as a new song started and she gave a half shriek and pulled him further into the dance floor, with a yell of 'I _love_ this song!"

_The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting_

_Could it be that we have been this way before?_

_I know you don't think that I am trying_

_I know you're wearing thin down to the core_

_But hold your breath_

_Because tonight will be the night that I fall for you_

_Over again_

_Don't make me change my mind_

_Or I won't live to see another day,_

_I swear it's true_

_'Cause a girl like you is impossible to find_

_You're impossible to find_

"I love this song, too," Chad whispered to her. "'Cause it kinda reminds me of you." She laughed, looking down. He blushed red, but he wasn't embarrassed, because he knew, somehow, that she understood.

"I love you, Chad. You're the best friend I've ever had, y'know?" She said softly, pressing her head into her chest. If she hadn't been so close, he might not have heard what she said next. "And something more. You're more than that,"

He smiled, feeling a sense of deep peace.

"I know, _cariño. _I love you, too."

He just hoped, in a more sober part of his mind, that he'd remember this in the morning, as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers once more.

**A/N FLUFF OVERLOAD YAY :P**

**Guess what? IT'S BEEN ONE YEAR SINCE DIKY WAS UPLOADED! Happy birthday, 'Don't I Know You?'! As a present, I give you amazing readers the present of great fluff xD **

**I love you all. I wouldn't be at this point without you :)**

**Hannah xox**


	63. Maybe in Magazines

**A/N Oh my days. This took far too long. My sincere apologies :L I've just been drowning in coursework and homework, and then Friday all I wanted to do was sleep and cry and watch Glee, SO I DID. Meh :(**

**I'm glad you all liked the last chapter! Although it got half the reviews as the chapter before (sad face) all the reviews I got were sooo nice and definitely appreciated! I love you all :)**

EYELiNeRLUvEr2411 **why yes, yes they did. Glad you liked it :) **

Steen Mustash **duuude! Log in! D': and then help me with my chemistry test... (puppy eyes) and get yo' unicorn out my garden!**

**^ I regret nothing. That's my best friend up thar. ;)**

k.98'PeaceOutSuckas** this ain't gonna be long honey, because I have a whole other fic in which I plan to take up the whole AN talking to you. Just... I'll miss you. *sniff* and you rock.**

**PS there is some Spanish contained in this chapter. I went through a English/Spanish translate dictionary, then ran it through Google translate to make sure it made sense. So keep your Google translate open! :)**

* * *

Chapter 62

Maybe in Magazines

(in which: Channy _finally_ read Tween Weekly, gosh.)

SPOV

"Ugh, ugh, _ugh_."

What. The. Heck?

"UGH."

Man alive.

"Ugh. Ugh..."

Someone, please,_ have mercy!_

"Ugh... TURN THE LIGHTS OFF!" I shrieked, finally gathering enough energy to do something other than moan.

"Ugh..." I heard someone else moan. A **fe**male, blonde someone. I threw my hands over my eyes.

"Turn off the damn _sun_ if you have to! My head! Oy vey... my head...!" I cried, closing my eyes tightly.

"Hey, the Random girls can't hold their liquor! Figures." A annoying voice penetrated my ears, causing me to give a basically animalistic growl as the pounding in my head exploded.

"SHUT UP." I snapped. She sniggered, much to my annoyance.

"Oh, worthless little Random, how are you liking your hangover?" She said, her voice filled with an emotion I was in too much pain to identify.

Then something registered.

My eyes snapped open.

"WHAT?"

* * *

Zora's POV

Reaching the hotel lobby, we were greeted with an... odd sight.

Allie and Chad.

Sitting on the couch.

Upside down.

Drinking coffee.

Wearing sunglasses.

Moaning. Quite loudly, to be honest. I looked from one to the other, seeing the tight grips they had on their coffee cup, and a smirk slowly formed on my face. I crept over to them, being considerate and quiet.

"BOO!" I yelled, stomping my foot. Pooper let out an odd, pained noise, his hand flying to his temple, while Allie gave a loud squawk of protest, slopping her coffee a little.

"Why? Why? WHAT IS THIS LIFE?" She said, somehow taking a large slurp of the hot drink without slopping it over herself. I raised my eyebrows in confusion.

"She's hungover, kiddo." Nico said to me. I snorted.

"Allie wouldn't drink. That's the kinda thing dorks like my brother do."

"You did _not_ see her last night in that club! Her and Pooper were sucking face and everything." I choked.

"What?" No! Allie was like the awesome, sweet older sister I never got to have. She wouldn't _do_ that.

"Naw, their drinks were spiked. They had a lot of rather intoxicating soda, from what I gather." Nico remarked.

"Oh, _sure._" Grady chipped in, looking furious.

"Whoa. Who blocked your wardrobe to Narnia this morning?" I asked. Nico patted his friend's arm.

"It's okay, buddy. We gon' yell at our girl for messing with Pooper now."

Oh.

_Oh._

Grady had a crush on Allie. How did I not _see_ that? He looked at her like she was from the land of Narnia itself!

Okay, I needed to stop with the Narnia digs.

"Why are you sitting upside down?" I asked, poking Allie's foot.

"I don't know." She mumbled, pushing her sunnies closer to her face.

"I think we should sit up. Blood to the head ain't feelin' so good right now." Pooper groaned.

"Good call, Goldie." Allie nodded. They wiggled, making pathetic attempts to move, then flopped back down. "Someone get me an aspirin!" She whined, pleading. He turned his head towards her, a grimace on his face.

"This'll work better if we work together." He said decisively. Allie nodded, and grabbed his hand. My eyebrows shot up.

"On three!" She pronounced.

"One..." He started.

"Two..."

"THREE!" They said together, and in some messy attempt at doing I don't know what, slid to the floor with a thump.

"Owwww!" They groaned. Quickly, Nico and Grady stepped forward and grabbed Chad under the arms, then pulled him away from Allie. Forcefully.

Grady offered a hand to her and pulled her up carefully. He was biting his lip though, not looking at all happy. Allie stumbled. We walked towards the hotel doors, pulling Allie along, ignoring her whines as she tried to pull back.

"Sunlight, I protest to you." She muttered, wincing as we stepped out into the sunny morning light. Nico folded his arms, and me and Grady copied his stance.

"Allie." He started, settling into a firmly disappointed look. Despite how freaked out I was by the whole 'drunk Allie' thing, I felt the urge to giggle at his parental ways.

"Wait!" Grady said. I tensed, my hand going towards the pocket of my backpack, where my slingshot was stored, with a good stock of slices of cheese and meat. "We can't start without Tawni!"

Allie folded her arms, pouting. "Can't. She's groaning on the floor of our hotel room. Now, onto more important matters- whose got an aspirin?"

* * *

SPOV

I groaned. Everyone's footsteps sounded hideously magnified, and when someone slammed their door- _bang_. It was like a gunshot!

Gunshots are _loud_.

"My head is so _sore_!" I wailed, pressing my palms to my forehead, as if I could physically press out the pain.

"Maybe you shouldn't have drunk so much, then." I shot Grady a glare.

"For the last _time_! I didn't drink anything! My drink. Was. Spiked." I emphasised.

"Sure, whatever." He muttered. A wave of annoyance washed through me abruptly.

"Grady, _what_ is your problem?" I hissed. "I mean, did I personally flipping offend you?" He glared at me.

"You _know_ why I'm so mad, _Allison_." He snapped. I stared at him, fighting the urge to slap him.

"_Enlighten_ me." I snarled.

"You know how I feel about you." He mumbled. To say I was caught off guard- well, it would have been the understatement of the century. Of the millennium, possibly. I took a large step back, my headache suddenly feeling less important as a feeling of panic set in.

"Grady, no, I-"

"I know you don't feel the same. But please, don't let your opinion of _me_, undermine how _I_ see _you_."

"Grady, I can't-"

"I just want a chance, Allie. Please. I'd treat you right. Please. Just one chance."

"Grady-"

"Please-"

"NO! No, alright! I _don't_ feel the same! I _can't_ give you a chance, because- because I'd be leading you on." I took a deep breath, ignoring the small voice screaming 'I don't want to deal with this!' in the back of my mind. "I don't- I can't, okay? You're like- like a brother to me." A sad smile pulled up the corner of my mouth as I looked up at him. "And I'm not into the whole incest thing."

It hurt to look at him.

Because it wasn't fair, was it? It wasn't fair that he seemed to have these stupid feelings for me, and I couldn't even rebuff him right, leading to his feelings _growing_, when I didn't feel the same. It wasn't fair that I'd led him on, intentionally or otherwise.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, and I was. I peeked up at him, and his shoulders were slumped. Defeated.

"I know."

There was a period of silence. Awkward silence.

"It's Cooper, isn't it?"

"No, no, I- never-"

"Allie."

"It's not-"

"Allison. Wake up." He patted my shoulder gently, a little awkwardly, and walked away.

And left me with my thoughts.

_Catch me as I fall_

_Say you're here, and it's all over now..._

* * *

Everyone had piled onto the couches in the lobby. We were silent. No one quite knew what to do, how to bring up what was clearly on everyone's minds; last night.

Jenny came storming towards us.

"Miss Munroe. Mr Cooper." She said, staring at Chad and me with an unusually... cold expression. "Please, come with me." Trading a look, and ignoring the immediate outbreak of whispering from our cast-mates, we rose to our feet and followed Jenny, through the lobby and into a small conference room. This was one of those fancy hotels that businesses booked for having meetings with other businesses, apparently. Jenny indicated for us to sit down, and she sat opposite us.

A magazine was slapped down in front of us, but before we could examine it, the door creaked open. As one, all three of us turned around.

Mr Condor was walking in. My mouth fell open. He stood beside Jenny, looking grimmer and more serious than I had ever seen him.

"Explain yourselves," He commanded, pointing at the magazine. We looked down.

_'Condor Celebrities Night Out!' _the title screamed, a long with a picture of me, Tawni and Chad looking very... happy.

Or, y'know, plastered.

"Crap." Chad muttered. I shifted my eyes back to our boss, who was glaring at us.

"Well?"

"We never bought alcohol." Chad snapped.

"Really? What do you see when you look at that picture, Mr Cooper? Miss Munroe?" Neither of us said anything. "You know what I see? I SEE YOU TWO DRUNK AND TAWNI HART NOT FAR BEHIND YOU!"

I watched out of the corner of my eyes as Chad's hands started to shake. _Keep your temper, Goldie, come on..._

"We never bought any alcohol!" He repeated.

"Mr Cooper-"

"He's right, all we bought is soda, sir." I cut in before Chad could lose his job. Condor narrowed his eyes.

"Two things, Miss Munroe- one, don't interrupt me. Your job may depend on it. Two, you two were drink." He said with a tone of finality.

"Sir-"

"Were you or were you not intoxicated, Miss Munroe?"

"But-"

"WERE YOU OR WEREN'T YOU?" I closed my eyes, rubbing my temples.

"Were." I admitted. "I think my headache can account for that. _But_-" I hurried on, because he looked like he was about to cut me off. "- neither of us bought _any_ alcohol."

"That doesn't make any-"

"Our drinks were spiked-"

"_Don't_ interrupt me, Miss Munroe- wait, what?" I covered up my surprise as best as I could.

"Our drinks were spiked. I swear, I bought nothing but soda!"

"Hm..." The large man said thoughtfully. I shot a look at Chad, silently asking him to calm down. He gave me his most pleasant smile.

"Well, why didn't you stop once you realized?" He roared. I gritted my teeth, but forced my lips into a smile.

"Because we were intoxicated." I said sweetly.

"Fine," He growled. "But all these rumours revolving around you two... Make up your minds. Confirm them once and for all; no more dancing around and denying them then fanning the flames of the rumour mill. Because I _will_ fire _both_ of you and then I will _personally_ make sure you are BLACKLISTED AND CAN NEVER GET A JOB IN HOLLYWOOD AGAIN!"

"Rumours...?" I mumbled, confused. Mr Condor stabbed a finger down at the magazine, his eyes flashing.

"I think you need to look at Tween Weekly," He said sarcastically. "Now get OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

* * *

"Hello, sorry, excuse me-"

"Sorry, ma'am, can I squeeze past you there, my apologies, dude, get OUT OF MY WAY-"

"Sorry, sorry, excuse me, sorry-"

Panting, we finally made it through the flooded city streets to the closest place selling magazines- a newsagents.

"We need to see any copies of Tween Weekly you have, please. Doesn't matter if they're not the latest, please, just please," I begged, pushing my sunglasses closer to my face in an attempt to keep the suspicious store clerk from figuring out who I was. Chad had his hood pulled over his head and paired with his over-large sunglasses, it made him look bizarre- and definitely nothing like 'the CDC'.

The amused looking clerk came out of 'the back' about five minutes later, arms full of magazines. He dumped them on me, and I smiled at him gratefully. He winked at me, and Chad pulled the pile carefully out of my arms, scowling at him. I rolled my eyes as I followed him out of the shop and back out into the sunlight.

"Don't be a dork." I muttered.

"I'm not a dork! He was weird."

"He winked at me! He didn't exactly come up and ask me for my life story."

"...he could have been leading up to it."

"You're so..."

"Right?"

"Overprotective!"

"Psh, me?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"I am n-"

"Yes, you are."

"Well... well... it's not my fault you need protecting!"

"I don't need to be protected from _anything_. You just like to think that." I smirked. Because honestly, his over-protectiveness was sort of endearing. Not that I'd ever tell him that.

"Eh, you love it," He smiled at me over the magazines he had clutched to his chest. A little cheesy smile.

"I do not." I declared. "It's dead annoying, really."

"_Sure_."

"It's true. I swear it."

"I don't believe you. You're a terrible liar, y'know," He teased me. I huffed and stuck my nose in the air.

"I'm a better liar than you are." I said sweetly.

"Nope."

"Yep."

"You know what? Fine!"

"Fine!" I attempted to stifle my giggles, which unfortunately ended in a snort. Chad chuckled and bumped me with his shoulder.

"Good!"

"Good!"

"So are we good?" He asked, his huge grin stretching his face. His hood fell down and his blonde hair flopped into his face.

"Oh, we're so good," I smirked, bumping into him and making him stumble. He gave me a mock glare. I smiled sweetly. We waited until some people were coming out of the hotel, then dived in before the door could swing shut. The doorman gave us a dirty look, and by the smirk on Chad's face, I'm pretty sure he would have flipped him off had his hands been free. I gave him a look which attempted to be disapproving, but I was mostly amused.

I found rebellious behaviour hilarious.

So sue me.

Me and Chad found rebellion entertaining. Its why we stole a car when we were twelve. It had nothing to do with grief driving us inwards and around the bend. Nope.

We threw ourselves unceremoniously onto the couch.

"Thank goodness, my headache's cleared up." Chad said. I agreed. Neither of us can quite bring ourselves to brand it a 'hangover'- it will just make the fact that we'd got totally blocked kind of real. I didn't want it to be real, because I liked to believe the choice of drinking alcohol, at least, was somewhere I actually had control in my life. And Chad was always beating himself up about being an example for his sisters. He'd lay down his life for those girls, and I guarantee you he wouldn't think twice.

"Ready?" Chad said, sliding his sunglasses back on top of his head. He wiped his fringe down quickly, and I thought I caught a glimpse of the edge of a band-aid.

Psh.

My mind refused to accept that possibility.

I nodded. "Sure, three months in Hollywood, vicious rumours, I can take it," I gave him an easy smile, and he flashed me a dark look. I could practically _hear_ him thinking 'it's not something to joke about, Sonny' but he managed to stop himself from saying it. Just about. He was biting his tongue.

He pulled the first magazine from the top of the pile.

I choked.

"_Are Sonny Munroe and Chad Dylan Cooper in Love?"_. It came with a lovely picture of us trading sarcastic smirks, with our irritated cast-mates around us.

"What the...?" I blurted. How did they get from sarcasm to... love?

"Shhh!" Chad commanded. I shot him a dirty look but didn't say anything as he flipped to whatever page matched the article.

"_As new girl Sonny Munroe owns the 'So Random!' stage- " _

"Hey, when is this dated?" I cut him off. He gave me a real glare this time, but I ignored it and yanked the magazine out of his hand and flipping it closed so I could see the cover.

"Hm. May 28th. Okay, yeah, that fits. It's after- after my dad's anniversary but I hadn't been in Hollywood _that_ long, so... yeah."

"Gimme that," Chad snapped, unimpressed.

"How do you know I don't want to read it?" I asked, holding onto it stubbornly.

"Do you?"

"No, but-"

"There we go then," He said, yanking the magazine from my hand, and instantly crushing my annoyance by sending me a cute, easy smile.

It was definitely the after affects of the hangover making me think of him as cute.

Okay, maybe not. Chad _was_ cute. I mean... he was like a little puppy. Kind of adorable.

But, dude, _not_ in a romantic way. Ew. No. Never. Never ever.

"Well, go on then." I snapped.

"_As new girl Sonny Munroe owns the 'So Random!' stage, she has the whole of Hollywood enchanted with her bright smile and her obvious talent._

_The starlet has quickly grabbed the attention of many, and the comedy show is more popular than ever. So how is the pretty brunette affecting others in her workplace?_

"_Allie's like a sister. She fit's in real well with the group," Co-star Grady Mitchell insists. "Tawni even likes her, and Tawni takes for-_ever_ to warm up to people!" He adds with a laugh. So, Miss Munroe has won over her own cast- but what about the other shows? _

_'Mackenzie Falls', the comedy show's biggest rival, had a lot to say about the starlet._

"_I don't know who she is, or what she's thinking, but she definitely belongs in... comedy," Marta Balatico, says. She doesn't seem very impressed by the starlet._

"_Ask Chad!" Devon, who also co-stars in the popular drama, states. "The two of them are like... ugh, I don't even know. You'd have to see it for yourself."_

_Spurred on by the cryptic statements given, we decided to hang around and observe the studios. Soon enough, both shows are on their lunch breaks. Both casts enter from opposite doors, and the temperature in the room seems to drop as Cooper and Munroe lock eyes. They trade a glare before the groups move to their separate tables,but stranger is still to come. As Tawni Hart and Portlyn Madison engage in a shouting match in the middle of the commissary, the two cast leaders are trying to pull them apart- but they certainly aren't putting an awful lot of effort into it. Giving in with a shrug, they seem to engage in a silent conversation, made up of eye rolls and smiles. When Hart turns around for back up, she immediately notices, and grabbing the brunette's arm, brings her back to the 'So Random!' table. A similar scene goes down between the two Mack Falls actors, and neither cast seems particularly thrilled. _

_What is going on between the two?"_

"I don't even remember that. Do you?" I struggled for the memory, coming up blank. Chad shrugged his shoulders in response.

"I have no clue."

"Let's see what other crap they've come up with, shall we?" I asked grimly, flipping through the magazines. They're all mostly the same, and although some make me feel like we should be more careful whenever we start with the sarcastic banter, there's nothing really that screams the _relationship_ the tabloids are so convinced we have.

And then we reach the last magazine. The one from this morning, hot off the press, and full of last night.

"_Condor Celebrities Night Out!"_ The picture, I have to admit, isn't particularly flattering. Tawni and I are both clearly laughing at something Chad has said, loud and hysterical. Chad has his arms waving in the air, clearly demonstrating some story that's making me and Tawni laugh like absolute lunatics.

And yeah, maybe we look a _little_ drunk. Because, I mean seriously, this magazine only ever seems to take picture of us being sarcastic and moody, so I suppose the contrast must be pretty big to the public eye. Warily, I flipped to the indicated pages, and nearly dropped the magazine in shock.

Me and Chad. Both of us. Sort of, y'know, kissing. And then giggling. And then kissing again. There were a couple of us dancing, playful, nothing _bad_. But most of it is stupid flirtatious _giggling_, and kisses on the cheek, the hand, the lips.

_The lips_.

I spared a glance at Chad, my cheeks burning red.

I was absolutely mortified.

"I- I-" Chad hadn't gone quite as red as I had- he was more light pink than blood red- but it was clear he felt it as clearly as I did.

"We... _this_ is awkward," He mused. And I looked at him, then down at the photos, and back up at him.

And it clicked.

He had known. _He_ had remembered.

I hadn't.

He hadn't said anything. Oh, my days, he had remembered, _but he hadn't said anything_.

And now, I was confused. Beyond confused, actually. I was totally, completely, call-the-cops, lost.

But _for goodness sake_ this was my best friend, the person I'd loved and lost and loved again, (it sounded weird said like that, I know, it was all platonic, I swear) and I'd die before I ran away from him when something confusing happened, because I had a feeling that this was a situation we needed to handle very, very carefully.

Because if it hadn't..._meant_ anything, from weird relationship-y things to just friends being over affectionate things, then he would've brought it up right away and he'd have made a joke and it all would have been very very different, but the fact remained that he'd _known_ and he hadn't said anything. Because he _knew_ and he did not have a single, freaking clue what it meant, not a lot different from me, and he needed to know what I was thinking before he started running his mouth.

"Well..."

"Uh..."

And then his eyes meet mine, his blue eyes, and he starts leaning, and I start leaning, and-

"Oh, my _days,_" Tawni yelled, and I snapped around to look at her. She was looking at (okay, admiring) her face in the mirror, and not looking at us for which I felt thankful, and I felt a little stab of annoyance maybe at her outburst and for the life of me I couldn't figure out why. "I look aw-_ful_!" She wailed, and I took this as a cue to get up and give her a little comfort.

"You alright, Tawni?" I asked. "Here," I muttered, pushing my sunnies onto her face as her forehead creased in pain.

"I amn never ever drinking willingly." She wailed. "_Never_. The spiked crap is bad enough. I feel like I had a meeting with the monster in the closet and the brown fluffy thing under your bed... heck, I feel like I _am_ the brown fluffy thing under your bed. And understand me, Munroe, that _is not a good freaking feeling_!"

I tried, for her poor hungover dignity, to muffle my snickers.

"Yo, Blondie, I don't think you're getting much sympathy from Shorty over here," Chad nodded toward me, his cheeks still a little pink and this stupid smirk on his face. I turned to him, completely ignoring the first part of his statement and Tawni's indignant reaction to it.

"Oi, Frankenteen, watch it on the height jabs. I remember well the times when we were the same height," I snorted.

Tawni let out a cross between a giggle and a protesting snort as her head pounded.

"You two were the same _height_? What? No, no way Allie. He's like, six inches taller than you. I can't see it." I laughed.

"It's true! When we were like eight, we were like, exactly the same height. Give or take a few millimetres, maybe. But then I grew up slowly-"

"_Real_ slowly," Chad snickered.

"- and he like, shot up an inch at a time. Now I'm called a flipping midget and I get _mocked_." I said, waving my arms dramatically.

"That's 'cause you _are_ a midget, _retaco_,"

"Oh, the shame..." I fake-cried, pressing my hand over my heart. Tawni surveyed us, her hand pressed to her forehead firmly.

"You two are so _weird_." She stood up, grabbing my arm. "Come on, Allie, come get some coffee with me!"

"Uh... okay?" _It's just the hangover, _I told myself. _It's just her hangover..._ I waited warily as Tawni ordered herself a mocha, and I ordered myself some straight black coffee, because it felt like my own hangover had come back. Maybe I just had a headache.

"Sooo, Allie." Tawni said as she sat down. "Chad. And you. Like, dude. Together? Are you or aren't you? The whole country wants to know." I froze and Tawni burst out laughing.

"Oh my days, you don't even know, do you? Not even you two have a clue what's going on between you. Oh, man." She slapped her thigh, apparently so completely, utterly amused by our confusion. Lovely. I settles on a glare, masking my confusion.

"Tawni, just shut up, m'kay?" She sobered immediately, annoyed by my cold tone.

"Fine, whatever. Just know that _we_ will probably never approve of him- so play your cards right, Munroe." She snapped, getting to her feet and storming away.

"Well, that went well." I muttered sarcastically to myself. The person at the desk gave me a look and I smiled sweetly at them. "What? Can't I rant about my problems?" They went back to their work quickly, shooting away to serve a customer. I nodded, pleased. "_Yeah_, that's what I thought,"

* * *

"_What were you THINKING_!" Tawni screeched. I folded my arms, and leaned back into the armchair they'd forced me into so that they could surround me. I had four furious glares burning into me, and I made sure my body language would translate how little I cared.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said boredly, tucking my leg underneath me and rubbing my foot. I had a vague memory of going over my ankle last night, which I connected to the small stabs of pain I felt whenever I took a step. It wasn't monumental, but it _was_ annoying.

"We're talking about you being all over Pooper last night, Munroe, and don't even _think_ about denying it."

As much as I loved them, I was aggravated by their butting in. I let my lips curve into a smirk and played with the end of my hair.

"Why would I do that? No point denying what's true,"

Grady and Tawni were, no doubt, the angriest about this. Zora looked sort of betrayed, like a kicked puppy (aww...) and Nico looked annoyed, but only mildly. He was a cool dude, and had once tipped his stupid fedora hat at me in admission that "I was good at taking care of myself for such a tiny person," which was possibly one of the best compliments I had ever received, even if he did immediately knock it back off track by adding that however good I could take care of myself, my little – ness and the fact that I was sort of nice to everyone triggered everyone's protective instinct.

Grady, I knew, was convinced he had some sort of feelings for me, but i'd already talked to him about it. And it wasn't fair for him to try and push for more when clearly, I was not interested.

I flipped my hair.

"Why... why _Pooper_ though?" Tawni groaned, clearly annoyed by how flippant I was being. I decided, in my annoyance, (and part of needing to have a bit of soul-searching, maybe...) to just go with the really, really bitchy comment about to come out of my mouth.

"Because he's hot." I shrugged. I tried not to laugh at the instant shock on everyone's faces. "What? If guys could be pretty, I would totally call him pretty. I mean... ugh." At their disbelieving looks, I surrendered my attitude... some of it. "Okay, I don't even _remember_ kissing him. But if I did, i'm pretty sure that's why it would be, anyway. He was being nice and he's attractive." I bit my lip. "Yeah, it was stupid, okay? I acknowledge that."

"You're right, it was stupid!" Tawni snapped, recovering herself from my comment on Chad's attractiveness, and walking over to get in my face. "Allie, I think you need to lie down. You just called _Pooper nice and attractive_. Clearly, _your _hangover hasn't gone away."

"Excuse me?" I snapped, stung. She grinned vindictively.

"You heard," I glared at her.

"I'm perfectly recovered, thank you. How about you? You don't mind if I do..." I reached my hands up slowly, then clapped loudly, right beside her ear. "...THIS, do you?" I said sweetly. She flinched, rubbing her forehead.

"Oh, dearie me, it appears not." I smirked, then stood up. "Lemme out, guys," I said, trying to push through. Tawni looked like she was seriously considering slapping me, and Nico and Grady were too busy gaping between the two of us to stop me. I stormed up the stairs, and slammed into my room. Mack Falls had gone out as a group earlier, just before my cast had hi-jacked me, and taken Chad with them. I lay down on my bed, appreciating the time to think. I had some things to take care of.

Before we'd gone on this bonding trip thing, me and Tawni had been getting along really well, all things considered. But then it all seemed to blow up in our faces! Every time we started to get along again, something came up and we started to act like the leaders of opposing cliques- and it wasn't pretty. I loved Tawni, she was a great friend- but at the same time, there were times I absolutely could not _stand_ the girl.

And then there was Chad.

_Chad_.

No telling what the hell had happened there, although as I thought more and more about last night, I could feel something that felt almost like a memory, and my lips tingled.

It wasn't all that unpleasant, really.

* * *

CPOV

"_CHAD DYLAN COOPER!"_

"...Hello, Vanessa, how can I help you?" I greeted her formally, mentally preparing myself. Vanessa was mad. Really, really mad.

"YOU... You IDIOT! _¿Qué demonios estaban estás pensando?_" Her breath was loud as she breathed down the phone. I could practically hear her daring me to answer.

"Vanessa, I-"

"_¡Usted no besa justo a la gente! ¡Sobre todo Sonny!"_

"I know, I know! But-"

"_¡Usted no puede tratarla ella como ésta!" _She shrieked, only gaining volume. Not altogether unlike my best friend, Vanessa liked to whap out the Spanish when she was mad at me. It didn't quite have the affect Sonny managed; her eyes didn't light up angrily, making her look even prettier-

Wait, wait, wait...

Yeah, breaking that thought off right there.

"'Nessa, she kissed _me_ first." I snapped childishly.

Dead silence.

"I'm gonna KILL that little _guarra_!"

"That wasn't nice, 'Nessa. Sonny isn't a _guarra_." I scolded her. If anyone else had let something like that out of their mouths, I would have beaten the crap out of them, no doubt about it.

But this was Vanessa and we were really alike in personality and I knew she was just so _angry _and whenever she was angry (or desperate) words just came _out_ without a filter, and the consequences didn't kick in until the words were out and knuckles were bruised from throwing punches at solid objects in frustration. As I listened to her ranting and letting out profanities and Spanish, I gave a little half grin.

Because, yeah, out of all my sisters, Vanessa was the most like me.

"Sort it out, little brother," She snapped, just before she hang up.

"I will," I said to the dial tone. "I'll make sure of it."

* * *

*THIRD PERSON*

* * *

In a state across the country, a blonde teenage girl looked at a tabloid magazine. The smile slowly spread across her lips, and she pulled out her cell phone.

"Josh. Call Devon. It's time for the next part of the plan to begin,"

Amy Michaels was going to get revenge on Sonny Munroe.

* * *

**A/N Okay.**

**Y'all can officially kill me now.**

**Because I keep you waiting for nearly three weeks, and what to I give you? A choppy chapter kind of stuffed full with parts that _kind_ of fit together, but not really. But hey! Sonny thinks Chad's attractive, and uh, yeah. He is. Chad's struggling but he remembered and he didn't say anything... because it meant something! Hallelujah :D**

**Haha. I truly hope you liked it readers!**

**NOTE: Recently, my review count has... dropped. Dramatically. I have chapters that have reviews in their high 20s, and then the last couple of chapters, it's been a struggle to get ten reviews. I know, I KNOW I sound so whiny and greedy right now but... reviews, guys. Reviews are motivation to an an author, as any of you guys who write will know.**

**So... please. If you reading, please review. Even if you thought my writing quality was horrible, just tell me! I want to know how YOU as my readers feel about my writing.**

**Okay. Pathetic whiny rant over...**

**I love you guys! Soo much. You're a big part of the reason I do what I do! :)**

**Love,**

**Hannah xo**

**PS I don't own Sonny With a Chance. Nor do I own 'Whisper' by Evanescence, which is the song used in _italics_ up there, in case you were wondering :)**


	64. Sleepin' On a Tour Bus

**A/N Sorry for the delay. I'm off for Easter holidays and lazy ;) I was sooo pleased with the amount of reviews last chapter pulled, though! Thanks a ton guys, you're amazing :D**

**Nicole; n'aww! No worries, sis, I hope you're feeling better :)**

**LalalalalaAlice; trolol. Glad ya liked it :D I will. SOON :) no, not yet :( I want to though! The books are brill ;) DON'T DIE! :O**

**Carol; haha, thanks. I kinda struggled with last chap, so thanks for bein' honest! Means a lot :p**

**randomsmileyperson; yay, glad you liked it! Yes, the Channy front :) I'm excited to make things happen there lol**

**EYELiNeRLUvEr2411; LOL. Aww, thank you, love!**

**Candy; thank you so much! Really glad you like it, thanks for reviewing :)**

**Hollyroseey; i'm not putting the dot in your name cos last time I did it didn't show up :( and here ya go! Update for youzzle :D**

**shoutout to KyraLeigh13 for being my hilarious tweet buddeh and my number one fan! :D**

* * *

"_With mournful joy  
She finally lets out her cry..."_

**Flyleaf- Uncle Bobby**

* * *

**Sonny**

The next few weeks passed in a blur of awkwardness, fear and laughing. Chad took me to get my cast off my arm (ignoring the yelling from _my_ cast) and it felt good, if a little stiff. Surprisingly, the bonding trip wasn't over yet- Condor's claims of 'just a few weeks' was apparently a lie, because we'd been travelling for about a month and a half now, with no clear indication of stopping. It was a mess. I hadn't grown closer to the Mack Falls cast, and the Mack Falls cast had _certainly_ not grown any closer to us. The only change was that I'd figured out the Mackenzie Falls cast was part playful evil, and part _pure_ evil. Chastity was actually kind of adorable, if a little scary with the way she looked at me and Chad.

Not to mention the fact that she kept calling me Sonny.

Or Sam.

And okay, I was surprised only _she_ had figured out me and Chad. We were apparently _really_ bad actors when it came to each other. Maybe my Randoms were so determined to see us as enemies, they couldn't see that... well, we weren't. Not that I wasn't grateful for their ignorance, but it was actually kind of ridiculous.

Even if Nico did think I had a flirting problem.

Which I did _not_.

I just happened to know that if I played with Chad's fingers or something, he'd generally stop being so stubborn and buy me some coffee, already. The fact that his face went bright red half the time was _not_ my fault. Or my intention, for that matter. But we had got into a simple routine of banter and yelling at each other and sidelong glances, because we knew each other so much better now. After Vegas (and the mess we'd made there) we'd travelled to Salt Lake City for a week, then down into Arizona. Arizona was _hot_. Really, really hot.

Really.

It was a Saturday morning whenever the chain was broken. At 2:30AM, my phone went off.

"Hello...?" I mumbled, tugging my duvet more comfortably under my chin.

"Sonny." I blinked, feeling immediately more awake.

"Blake?" I started playing with my hair, my mood boosting. "It's so good to hear from you! Bit of a rare time to call don't you think? I'm so glad you're-"

"_Sonny_."

"...Blake?" It wasn't often I heard him like that. Serious.

"Something's changed, kid." I knew immediately what he was going to say. I didn't want to know. But I did.

"Amy." I whispered. I heard him sigh.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, kiddo." My throat constricted.

"I know. You did all you could, Blake..."

"I'm sorry it wasn't enough." I felt thick, numb.

"Me too." I said, so quiet it was barely audible. I wasn't blaming him. _She_ was unstoppable. "I'm sorry you had to get hurt trying." He gave a hoarse laugh.

"Believe me, kid, I coulda been hurt for worse things than trying to protect my little sis. It's probably 'cause of this whole thing I never went to juvie." His voice was gentle, teasing. I gave a choked laugh.

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks, bro."

"Any time, little sis. Any time."

* * *

For all the comfort Blake gave me, though, it didn't stop me from panicking. Once he'd hung up, the comfort faded... and the fear set in.

I didn't want to be afraid of her. But I was.

And that's how I found myself running. I slammed the door out of my way, not caring whether or not I woke up my room-mates- which was actually unusual, considering it was actually Tawni and Zora this time.

But I needed to get out. Really out.

And so, I ran.

It didn't take long to get to the lobby, though I didn't remember using the stairs and I definitely had never stood still long enough to take the elevator. It was like back in Wisconsin when Amy would keep on going, keep on hurting me 'til I couldn't take it any more.

She loved it when I ran.

I didn't stick up to her right. I knew that. I knew I should never run, but I _did_, over and over and over again.

_I'm running again..._

I didn't think about how much trouble I'd be in with Jenny. I didn't think about how I'd probably get caught. I just ran, my feet pounding the asphalt, because I couldn't stand still, not knowing what I knew. I couldn't let those feelings in.

* * *

I shouldn't have been surprised, really. Chad did have that sixth sense and all.

But seriously, when I ran back into the hotel lobby at nearly 4am, I wasn't expecting the arms around me pulling me in and squeezing me tightly.

"What the hell?" He muttered.

"What are you doing up?" I asked, through chattering teeth. I didn't realise how cold I was until Chad hugged me, and he was _really_ warm.

"What are you doing _out_?" I couldn't see his face from where I was squished against his chest, but I knew he wasn't happy. And I couldn't lie to him. With a heavy heart, I pulled back from him.

"I- I-" I stuttered out. Too much, too soon. "I just felt... overwhelmed. It's been a long couple of weeks," I said weakly. I grabbed his hand automatically. "And I-"

He turned my hand over, playing with my fingers. "What?"

"I'll tell you in the morning," I mumbled. He looked like he was going to press the issue, but I gave him a desperate look. "_Please_. I just... can't deal with it now. Okay?"

He nodded slowly.

"But... you'll tell me?" It occurred to me that he looked even more tired than he felt. I tried my best to smile reassuringly.

"I promise. No more secrets, right?" He gave me a small smile.

"No more secrets."

I hugged him again, feeling the tell-tale signs of crying coming on. My eyes prickled and Chad put his arms around me quickly. I tried not to, but I gave a half sob. His arms tightened.

"It's okay, Sonshine." He played with the end of my ponytail. "It's gonna be okay,"

* * *

10am the next morning found both our casts standing in the lobby, suitcases in hand. Mostly.

"MARTA!" Jenny yelled. The obnoxious brunette in question turned, her eyebrow raised.

"What?" She asked, staring at her fingernails.

"Where's your case?"

"Um, no-one's brought it down for me yet?" She gave Jenny a look which made it clear she didn't think a lot of her.

"That, Miss Balatico, is because Mr Condor and I have agreed it's high time for you to be a little more responsible and stop behaving like a whiny five year old." Jenny said flatly. I smiled. Marta looked up slowly, a furious look on her face.

"That is ridiculous, you-"

"Upstairs."

"I'm not-"  
"NOW!" Jenny yelled. And Marta went. She went.

I burst out laughing.

"Is there a problem, Miss Munroe?" Jenny asked, attempting to keep a straight face. I gave her a bright smile.

"No, not at all," I sniggered. Jenny smirked and turned away. I could hear Devon muttering, but I felt that was more of a victory than a bad thing.

As Jenny went on, making sure everyone had what they needed, my smile faded. Chad caught my eye across the room, tilting his head questioningly. I nodded at him, letting him know I was okay.

"All right guys," Jenny said, as Marta clomped down the stairs. "To the bus!"

I grimaced along with everyone else. We'd been told we were taking the bus out of Arizona, but I'd hoped they would change their minds. We were going to be travelling through the night, and we were just going to be pushing the seats back and sleeping on the floor.

But last night I'd had a nightmare. Nightmares were noisy. I could barely handle the questioning glances and the suspicious looks from my room-mates. The bus was going to be _far_ worse. And I knew Chad got nightmares sometimes. It would look weird if we tried to help each other with nightmares the way we usually did.

"Gonna be a long journey," I commented, sliding into a seat beside my best friend. He turned from where he was staring out the window.

"Yeah," He agreed, then looked me over. "You alright?" I couldn't help but smile. Over-protective 'til the end, that one.

Didn't mean I could answer him.

"Are you?" I asked. He gave me a tired smile.

"I'm about as okay as you are." My lips twitched, and I settled into the seat more comfortably, using Chad as a pillow.

"I can't believe we're going back to Texas, though," I whispered as the bus started moving.

"Me either. You been back since...?" He trailed off, fidgeting. I bit my lip.

"Nope. You?"

He shook his head slowly. "Couldn't face it. My relatives... less than happy."

"I couldn't face it either. Too much..." I waved my hand, unable to come up with an adjective. From his expression, he knew what I meant. The silence between us was thick.

Texas. Back to where it all began...

"I missed it, you know. A lot." I finally said. He leaned into me, the closest to a hug we could get in the bus full of our suspicious cast-mates.

"I know. I think I missed it more,"

"Mmh. Not possible!" I disagreed, almost smiling. Almost.

The next week could go two ways; it was either gonna rock, to be in the place me and Chad _met_ for the first time **(hehe omd) **or it would hurt so incredibly much that both of us would burst into tears any time anything vaguely familiar was even mentioned. That would be kind of hard to explain.

"What are you thinkin', Munroe?" Chad asked, which made me realise I'd spaced out. I slid down in my seat, pulling my legs up and resting my feet against the seat in front.

"Just... stuff. Dunno how I'm gonna deal with this, y'know?"

"Yeah. I know." He stared out the window again. "But we'll be okay." He muttered, his voice dropping low. "_Somos fuertes. Y tenemos el uno al otro ahora._" He paused, looking at my face, and grinning at my little smile. "_¿Ver esa sonrisa?__Eso es lo que quería ver.__"_ I laughed at him.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Cooper. Now stop speaking Spanish... _por favor_."

"Aw, you love it." He smirked.

"... I admit to nothing without my lawyer present." I said, deliberately sticking my nose in the air.

"Touchy, touchy."

"Not around you, buddy."

"Ouch." He put his hand over his heart sarcastically.

"It's a cruel world, Goldilocks."

"And you're the cruel-est of them all!"

"Good English there, Texas." I said, oozing sarcasm.

"Thankin' you, Wisconsin." He tipped an invisible hat. I sniggered.

"Ever the gentleman, huh, Chad?" We both burst out laughing, forgetting, for a moment, what was to come.

* * *

As we stopped for the night, we all settled down in puffy sleeping bags. Half of us couldn't stop giggling, and I could see why; it was like a giant sleepover. There wasn't a whole lot of room, either, but we managed to kind of clump into two groups; our separate casts, of course. Me and Chad were in the middle, dangerously near the invisible dividing line. He raised an eyebrow at me, picking up on a little fact no one else noticed; I was wearing one of his t-shirts as a pyjama top. I mouthed '_Shut up!'_ at him. He just smiled at me.

"Ugh, Chaddy, can you believe _we_ have to sleep near these... _people_?" Marta complained loudly, trying to lean all over him. I stared, torn between amusement and annoyance.

"Er... can you get off me... please...?" He trailed out, looking at her incredulously. Amusement won out; there was no way Chad would ever let Mall-Mart touch him. Ever.

And if she tried it again, I was going to oh-so-subtly rip her hands off.

"Hey, Allie. Allie. Allie-eeeee." Tawni whispered loudly. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, Tawni? And _shhh_,"

"Cooper has a _thang_ for you still." She giggled into my ear, managing to be quiet now.

"No, he doesn't, Tawni." I said calmly.

"Yeah, that's why he keeps looking at you." She wiggled her blonde eyebrows.

"Shut up. I'm naturally attractive. Sometimes people look at me." I joked. "Now go to sleep."

"Nah. If he was looking at you because of attractiveness, he'd be lookin' at _moi._" I stared at her. "What? No offence, of course."

"Hey, Tawni?"

"Yeah?"

"Your annoying blonde side is showing."

"Is _not_!"

"... What are you, five?"

"'_What are you, five?'_" She impersonated me in a high pitched voice.

"I sound nothin' like that, princess." I snapped. "I pride myself on _not_ being pink and glittery."

"Ain't that the truth..." She muttered.

"Hey!"

"What? You started it!"  
"Just... go to sleep, Tawni." She grumbled, but rolled over. Soon, the bus was filled with the sounds of soft breathing and snoring. I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling.

* * *

CPOV

"Sonny?" I whispered, about half an hour after her and Tawni's conversation. "You awake?"

I heard a sigh.

"'Course I am. Stupid insomnia." She grumbled.

"Same here."

"Everyone is asleep, though." She murmured. I heard her roll over, and I turned onto my side to see her facing me, her arm tucked under her head like a little kid.

"So... hi." I mumbled. She gave a little giggle.

"Your hair is messed up, man."

"So? As long as it sits right in the morning, I couldn't care less what it does now." I grumbled.

"Ha. I knew you didn't really care about your hair!"

"No arguments from me. That product crap the wardrobe chick always puts in it smells so weird." She laughed again, and it was nice. She'd been worried a lot in the past few weeks, and there was nothing I hated more than seeing her unhappy. She needs to smile. _Needs_ to.

I poked her face. She tried to slap my hand but she barely touched me. I looped our fingers together.

"How ya feelin'?" I asked.

It took her a while to respond- and from that, I knew she was gonna answer the question as seriously as I'd asked it.

"Scared, I guess," She said after a while. "I mean- oh, Chad. Blake called me." My breath caught.

"And?"

She closed her eyes, and opened her mouth to speak.

* * *

**A/N Heh. Before you kill me; it's nearly 4am, and my thinking isn't so logical right now. I'm probably gonna hate this chapter when I wake up later, but for now it's kinda making me giggle.**

**If anyone is wondering about the mini mysterious AN up there ^ ...eh, you don't want to know. It was just me being British and immature lol :)**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I am, obviously, trying to speed up the pace a bit, and I hope it's not too boring to read :D Next chapter, we'll get Sonny's response [and I swear you can hold me to that] and they'll arrive in Texas for some ACMs (trademark, Amy!) :)**

**Tomorrow- or, later today, yeah, ha- I'm going away on my EASTER WEEKEND with the youth organisation in my church :D I'm gonna be away from tonight, and coming home on Tuesday evening, so don't panic if yeh don't hear from me :p**

**Please review! I'd love to know what you thought of the chapter, and reviews are always appreciated :) This story is for you, guys!**

**Love,**

**Hannah xo**


	65. Texas

**I'm back! :) this chapter took six days to write. I've been working hard ;D School started back today though, so ugh.**

**i like to rant; hi. Your review was long. I read it on my phone trolol. Don't worry! Amy's reason to want revenge IS about to be revealed :) have no fear ha ha. And yes, they will be getting back to the shows; but remember, it's July/August right now, so the shows are on summer break anyway. And yeah... pretty much all of the big deep dark secrets are all out now. The end is in sight! It's just a matter of confronting the problems :) I will try and wrap up as many loose ends as suits each chapter, don't you worry :)**

**randomsmileyperson; heehee. More to read here :)**

**EYELiNeRLUvEr2411; aha, that you did :) glad you liked it!**

**In this chapter we learn what Amy does; I've been planning this forever. And, well... it's a pretty intense scene, okay? Warning ya now.**

**Warning: the atmosphere in this chapter is bi-polar. Extremely.**

**Hope you like the chapter, guys! :D**

* * *

Chapter 64

Texas

"She's on the move... She's coming, she's coming." I said. My eyes widened, and the fear came back; a wave so powerful I nearly fell over. "Oh, my days... she's coming... for me." My hands flexed compulsively, and I gripped the edge of my sleeping bag. Chad was silent. I could barely see his expression in the dark, but I could feel his eyes on me. "She's... she's coming..."

"Why?" Chad's voice was filled with something I couldn't identify. And I was usually pretty good at the whole identification thing.

Then again, I was tired and freaked out and pretty close to snapping in half.

"What?" I felt more than heard him half lean, half shuffle closer to me.

"Why? Why would she come for you? What reason could she _possibly_ have?" He sounded angry now. My eyes were wide as I stared at where I thought his face probably was.

"_Revenge_." I whispered.

It startled me when he snorted. "What?"

"You do realise you sound ridiculous, right? 'Revenge'? C'mon, Sonshine, you're clever. Can't you do better than that? Can't _she_ do better than that?"

"I... I'm..."

"Absolutely terrified, yeah. And I want to _kill_ her for that. More than that. I want to rip her stupid _guarra_ throat out, _for__that_. But I need to know _why_."

My hands were trembling now, and I pulled my sleeping bag in closer.

"I told you. Revenge."

"But-"

"No, Chad. She wants revenge and I know it." I only hesitated for a second, glancing around to see who was awake. "I... I did something to her."

His breathing caught, just for a second. But I heard it. Then I felt his fingers graze my hand, looking to connect our hands. I tangled our fingers together, comforted.

"What'd you do?" I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"I fought back, Chad. I pushed her back and... and... I left a mark."

"A mark?"

"A mark." I slowly slid my hand out of his grip, feeling ashamed.

"What do you mean?" I covered my eyes with my hands. "Sonny?"

"I fought back." I whimpered. He shifted again, close enough that I could just about make out his face in the dark.

"Tell me." He whispered.

_The door crashes open, banging off the wall as she storms in. I back up against the wall, hoping she won't see me; hoping I can be invisible this time. _

_She moves fast enough that I don't have time to prepare before she slams into me, coming with me as I fall to the ground. As usual, I try and squirm out from underneath her._

_As usual, it doesn't work._

"_Please." I whisper, hoping, as I always do. She giggles softly, her blonde hair tickling my face._

"_Sonny, baby, you know it doesn't work that way." I press myself closer to the ground, wanting to be anywhere, anywhere but where I am. She presses her forearm against my throat, giggling again when I squirm. She brings her other hand up slowly, slowly, enjoying the sight as I begin to panic more and more._

"_No. Please..."_

"_You know how this thing goes, Sonny." A kiss to my cheek. "We can't break the sequence, now can we?"_

_I freeze, feeling the cold, sharp edge press against my cheek. She brings that hand down again, laughing as I shake. _

"_I'm gonna miss you so much while you're in Hollywood, baby." She pushes herself up on her knees, supporting herself with one hand, but keeping me trapped between her body and the floor. She rests the sharp edge of the knife against the side of my leg, so light I can barely feel it._

_But I will._

_I meet her eyes, and she smiles at me, a real, genuine smile._

"_Please." I whisper once more._

_And she slides the knife across my skin._

_And I scream_

_and scream_

_and she giggles delightedly, waiting for the blood to hit the floor before she runs her finger over the small cut experimentally. I choke on my breath and try to move away. Before I can finish getting to my feet, though, her free hand wraps around my wrist and she yanks me back to the floor._

"_I wasn't done," She whispers in my ear, shifting so that one of her arms is wrapped around my waist, trapping me again. Her other hand slowly makes its way to my face, stroking my face with the back of her hand before bringing the knife up. I start to tremble again, but she pulls it a few centimetres away from my face and examines it, her eyes calculating._

"_Mmh, no, can't do that. Can't ruin your pretty face, now can we?" She licks her lips as her eyes flicker from the knife to my face and back. "No... guess your leg will do." She tightens her arm around my waist again, and I feel nausea curl my stomach. She continues examining the knife, and panic starts to rise in my throat. She can hear my heart beating faster, I'm sure of it. And I want nothing more than to wipe the smile off her face._

_And before I can stop myself_

_I'm reaching up towards her hand_

_the hand holding the knife_

_and my breath catches as adrenaline shoots through my veins_

_and I grab her wrist_

_and her eyes are widening_

_and I shove her hand away as hard as I can_

_but I didn't take the knife into account and in slow motion_

_the tip of the knife grazes her cheek._

_And I watch in horror as a small line of blood trails from the cut _

_and her eyes widen and she drops the knife with a clatter_

_and she feels the blood and her eyes turn to me_

_slowly_

_and the world is still for two short seconds, then-_

"¡Hembra de mierda!" _she__shrieks,__and__then__I'm__on__my__feet,__and__I'm__running,__I'm__running,__I'm__running-_

_but then she's in front of me, her hand clamped to her face and it must be the fear talking because all I can think is "she's done this to me over and over and one little cut and she's going to kill me?" and then I stop because_

_she's going to kill me. I can see it in her eyes._

_But she doesn't do anything but look at me, and so, I walk away._

…

_The __next __morning __is __my __last __day __in __school __and __I __don't __know __what __to __feel. __She __isn't __there __but __is __that __a __good __thing __or __a __bad __thing? __A __few __people __mumble __congratulations __on __my __going __to __Hollywood, __but __mostly __I'm __ignored. __They're __talking _about _me __though, __that __much __I __know._

_Just before I turn to go down my street though, a pair of arms wrap around my waist._

"_I'll get revenge someday, Sonny," She whispers. "Don't worry, baby. I won't forget about you."_

_And it didn't take Blake long to figure out why I was crying._

"So now you know." I mumbled. Chad was staring at me, his mouth moving furiously, shaping words but nothing was coming out. I lay back down on my side, pulling my sleeping bag over my head. It felt like forever, but eventually I felt him lie down as well. He pulled the sleeping bag away from my face.

"Hey," I muttered, looking at my hands.

"Hi."

"I- I'm sorry."

"Sorry? _You're_ sorry?"

"Mmh.." I mumbled.

"Darlin', what she was doing to you was wrong. So, so, _so_ wrong. What you did was _self__defence_. And you've been beating yourself up over it this whole time, haven't you?" I didn't say anything and he seemed to take my silence as a confirmation. "_Don't._"

And then-

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm so, so sorry..."

I covered his mouth with my hand. "_You_ don't. Chad, what could you have done?"

"I coulda been there." He mumbled against my hand. I moved it away from his mouth, wiping it on my t-shirt hastily. "I could have... I could have..."

"You couldn't have done anything." I whispered, closing my eyes. "She... she was _obsessed_ with me."

"She sounds scary," He mumbled, yawning.

"She was. She _is_," His hand found mine once again.

"Tell me about her."

I swallowed, my mouth feeling dry. But hey; we'd promised, no more secrets. "She's... she's blonde. Pretty. Really pretty. Li'l bit taller 'n me. An'... an'..." I slurred, the lack of sleep catching up to me suddenly. "An' she's kinda, all, y'know, messed up," I wiggled my finger in a circle beside my head. "She, she's creepy."

"I don' like her," He mumbled, the 't' not coming out.

"Me neither." I agreed. "I'm... I'm gonna go t' sleep now,"

"G'night, Sonny,"

"G'night."

And we drifted off to sleep, our hands still connected.

* * *

"Up! Up, come on, everybody up!" A voice chirped. I groaned and rolled over, pushing my face more firmly into my pillow. I could hear the sounds people scrambling to their feet around me, but I didn't think I could open my eyes, let alone stand up. I snuggled into my sleeping back, glad no one was talking to me.

"Munroe! Cooper! Up!" Jenny snapped, sounding more annoyed than perky now. Apparently, I had spoken too soon. I groaned again, covering my ears.

"I will not ask again, you two." Her voice was closer, now. I rolled onto my back and stared up at her blearily. "You have until I count to five. One, two, three-"

_Splash._

"OH MY DAYS!" I shrieked, shocked at the sudden cold spreading over my body. I could hear Chad having a similar reaction beside me. I glanced at him, trying to wipe my hair off of my face. "Did she really just-"

"Yep."

"She threw water on us."

"Yep."

"_Un_believable." I muttered, staring up at my former teacher . She smiled at us.

"Had to get some kind of payback for my classroom," My mouth popped open. Chad gave her a blank look before rolling to his feet. He held a hand out to me and I let him pull me up. As I stood, I felt a familiar pain stab through my abdomen, and my hand flew to my stomach.

"Crap."

"Language, Miss Munroe." Jenny scolded me, and I pulled away from Chad and stormed away from the both of them, out of the van and into the morning sunlight. The bus had stopped in the car park of one of those big, open-all-night tourist centres. [1] The kind where you could buy breakfast at four in the morning.

I winced and grabbed my bag, fully intending on throwing on the first thing my hands happened to touch. Tawni giggled at my waterlogged appearance, and I growled at her.

"Grumpy!" She sang, applying thick layers of lip stick.

"Oh, can it. You're just all giggly 'cos you got a fresh batch of Cocoa Mocha Cocoa." I pulled at the zip at my bag, which refused to budge. I growled again, seeing Chad approach from the corner of my eye.

"Okay, seriously, what are you so annoyed at?" Tawni asked, stung, no doubt because I'd as good as insulted her precious lipstick. Chad was beside me now, looking from me to Tawni.

"Just_ am_, okay? Jeez. And _ow_." I snapped, rubbing my stomach. Chad's mouth fell open, and he pointed at me frantically, his lips moving as he looked at me and then down at his fingers and apparently counting, then pointing at me again.

"Aaaand Cooper's snapped at last," Tawni said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"PMS!" He finally choked out, settling on pointing at me. Tawni coughed and stared at him incredulously.

"Excuse me?" She asked, cocking her hip. He swallowed loudly.

"She... she... time..." He spluttered. Tawni looked incredulous. I glanced down at my stomach then up and him and gave him a little sarcastic smile. He walked away quickly.

"Well, that was..." Tawni stared after Chad, apparently lost for words. "...special." **(Kathryn :])** I just laughed, grabbed my bag and headed for the bathroom to get changed.

* * *

It was four hours later when the bus pulled up in Texas. Sonny tied her long hair back, looking unimpressed with the humidity. I practically fell out of the bus, then lay on the hot ground.

"Oh, home town, I have _missed_ you!" I cried, flailing. Sonny snorted and stepped over me.

"Weirdo,"

"Ah, you missed it too!" I patted the ground beside me, peering up at her. "Come flail with me!"

She choked, then burst out laughing.

"You're _fangirling_. Oh, my days, you're _fangirling_." She snickered. I shot her a grin.

"Heck _yes_ I am."

She flopped down beside, smiling. "You know we're just kind of sitting on the pavement beside the tour bus, right? And there are at least three members of our casts staring at us." I turned my head towards her, smirking.

"You know what, Sonshine? Screw them." She laughed louder than I'd heard in a while. I smiled at her. "Isn't it good to be home?"

She pushed her hair out of her face, smiling hugely. "The best."

* * *

Soon, I found myself standing in the middle of the street, unsure of where to go. The café with it's familiar milkshake smell, the street which I knew at least five members of my family lived... or the park, which was straight ahead of me.

"Hey, space cadet!" Sonny yelled in my ear. I rubbed the side of my head, giving her a look.

"Did you really have to do that? Did you, Sonny?"

"Yep." She widened her eyes innocently. "Did it bother you?" I rolled my eyes at her.

"Want to get a milkshake?" I asked her. She gave me a little smile.

"You're really getting into this, aren't you?"

"Into what?"

"The whole being home thing." She hesitated. "How long has it been for you?"

"Can we just get milkshakes?"

"Sure. Here always was the best place to get them, anyway." She admitted, looking a little hurt that I hadn't answered her.

Especially after her telling me... everything. The full everything. We walked towards the shop, Sonny staring low at the ground and obviously moving on autopilot, me staring at her and... moving on autopilot as we slid into a booth.

Sonny stared around herself, wide eyed, then her eyes met mine. "This is _our_ booth." She said quietly.

"Yep."

"Howdy! What can I get for you, folks?" A female voice said, and I looked up in time to see Sonny's eyes widen and I looked at the waitress and my eyes widened as well. She looked slightly startled when neither of us said anything and just sort of... gaped at her. Jennifer, the daughter of the owner. "Uh, can I help you?" She peered at us, brushing her thick fringe off her face, and then _her_ eyes widened. "Well, if it ain't li'l Sonny and Chad! Nice to see you two together again," She smiled warmly. "Let me see if I remember... Oreo Cookie and Chocolate Swirl?"

We both nodded, too surprised to say anything. And she was right, it's not like we were going to argue. I stared after her as she made up our milkshakes, then walked back over to us, smiling.

"Those are on the house, darlin'. You two have fun!" She wandered back to the counter.

Sonny grabbed her milkshake. "This is crazy." She muttered.

"I know." Our eyes met and we burst out laughing.

"Can we get out of here? We don't need to pay. And our friends are probably wondering where we've gone,"

"Our friends?"

"Yes, Chad. Those people we work with."

"No offence, but my cast aren't really the _friendly_ type and your cast really, really hate me."

"Still, it's nice to call them our friends." She said, standing up

"You're too nice." I rolled my eyes as I wrapped my arm around her waist and we started walking towards the door.

"Actually, I'm kind of a bitch. I just like being nice to other actors." She smiled, leaning into me as we walked.

"Right, whatever. You're a bitch who's 'being nice' is really just sucking up. I believe that." I said sarcastically, drinking my milkshake as we walked through the door and out into the sunlight. Our casts were walking along, Jenny in the lead. She sped towards us and I rolled my eyes.

"Hey! What do you think you were doing?" Jenny fumed. "You could've gotten lost!"

"Jenny, I live here- well, used to- but either way, I could walk around here blindfolded."

"That does _not_ give you a free pass to break the rules and run off on your own.

Sonny slapped her hand over my mouth before I could retort. "Sorry, Miss Henderson," She said, biting her lip and widening her eyes for good effect. Her and her stupid innocent face...

"Of course, Miss Munroe." She only looked a little bit tempted to roll her eyes. "Now, shall we head to our hotel ?"

I bit my lip- the thought of going _home,_ for real, was attractive.

But then... my dad had gotten the house in the divorce. Not my mother. I had no idea who owned it now. My stomach curled- what if I ran into home.

Oh, man.

Before I could think about it too hard, though, someone called my name.

"Oi, Pooper!" Tawni yelled at me. _Randoms_. Oh, how... lovely.

"Yes, Blondie?" I said politely, giving her the most neutral look I could while feeling the urge to flip the bird at her.

"Why are you cuddling _our_ cast-mate?" She asked grumpily, and I realised I still had Sonny sort of tucked into my side. I just smiled and pulled her in tighter, ignoring her mumble of annoyance.

"Must be something in the air. And I bought her a milkshake?" I grinned. "Whatever. Why, is it bothering you ?"

She glared at me. "Of course it is!"

"Why?"

"Because-"

"Because what? Is it bothering _you_, Sonny?" I said, turning my head to talk into her ear.

"Must you aggravate my friends?" She groaned.

"That's not a yes. Problem solved." I gave Tawni a sarcastic smile, and she glared at me.

"Stop it, Chad." Sonny muttered, elbowing me.

And once again, before I could start anything, a voice interrupted me.

"_Chad?_" Sonny turned around before I could, sliding out from underneath my arm and spinning around.

"Oh, well _there's_ a face I haven't seen in a while." She mused. I turned around, a lot more slowly.

"Chad, bro?" Ronald waved his hand in front of his own face. "This is..." He walked towards me. I stared at him, then started backing up as his face moved from shock to anger.

"Oh, crap. Ronnie, man, I can explain, seriously, dude-" His expression didn't change, and I ducked just in time to miss his fist swinging towards my face.

"What the actual crap, man?" He yelled. "I thought we were friends! And Sonny!" Before I could stop him, he caught Sonny's arm, and actually tried to _pull her towards him_. And she did not look happy. "Man, I thought you had some respect for her, but _no_."

"You talk about _me_ not having any respect? I'd advise you let go of her... now."

"You just had to go all, 'Ohh! I'm Chad! Look at me! My best friend is depressed but because my parents aren't working out, I'm gonna leave _everyone_ without any explanation! Yay! No one could _possibly_ be hurt by this plan!'" He sneered, yanking Sonny towards him- away from me. He wanted to take her away from me... because of what I'd done.

That didn't make it acceptable that he was gripping her arm so hard it was causing her pain.

"Okay, first of all, _bro_, for the last time- I do not sound like a whiny girl. I didn't when I was ten, and I didn't when I was thirteen, either. Second- you have _no_ idea what went down, m'kay? So butt out. Third- _let go of her_."

"Why don't you explain, then? Oh, wait- that's right, I don't wanna hear it." He glared at me, and as annoying as it was, I couldn't argue. "Oh, look, nothing to say to that. What a surprise." He turned to Sonny. "And how's being back with him workin' out for ya, darlin'?"

"Let go of me, _Ronald_," She snapped.

"Before I put my foot down your throat." I added, glaring at him. He looked from Sonny to me, then shoved her towards me- hard. I caught her arm before she fell.

And he turned and walked away. I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated.

"Well, that could've gone better." I put my arm around Sonny's shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. You guys definitely aren't as bromantic as I remember." Sonny said lightly, but she was rubbing her arm.

"Who was that?" Tawni asked. Darn, I hadn't needed- or wanted- anyone to see that.

"Chad's old friend." Sonny shrugged. I glared at the ground. "Don't ask," Sonny muttered to the others. They were staring at me, though, especially the Randoms- judging him, judging me. I felt the need to justify.

"He was a good guy. Could be kinda annoyin', but _never_ anything like that." I tightened my arm around Sonny. "Never."

It was the closest they were going to get to an apology, and they knew it. Nico gave me a very forced half smile. Slowly, everyone started to walk again, Jenny looking impatient. Me and Sonny trailed behind, still huddled together. Every so often my shoulders tensed, and I pulled her closer.

"Will you stop that? I'm _fine_," Sonny muttered, obviously tired of me.

"Sorry." I said sheepishly, then glanced around. "Let's get out of here- seeing my old friend is messin' with my head."

"More than it's already messed up?"

"Ha, ha." I said sarcastically. She looked up at me through her lashes, and I smiled wider, flushing slightly.

"Well, there's only one place for us to go, isn't there?" She asked, her eyes dancing. "The park!"

I stopped for a second, pushing a frown onto my face. "Not _the _park, Sonny." I said sternly. "_Our_ park."

She laughed, already starting to turn away from the others. "Let's go."

* * *

It didn't take us long to get there- after all, we knew possibly every short cut there was to cut.

"I feel like a miserable person." Sonny snickered, as we commanded a bunch of little kids off the monkey bars. "I mean, nine years go... that was _us_."

"Yeah, but now we're the evil big kids." I snorted, stopping as I leaned against the bars. I grinned at her. "Happy nine year anniversary, Sonshine. Sorry I didn't get you anything."

She laughed out loud, leaning into me. "Don't worry about it. I didn't get you anything, either."

"Oh, wait! I bought you a milkshake! Does that count?" I asked her. She poked her tongue out at me. "Yep, I think it does. Score." I shoved her arm lightly.

She shoved me back, hard. I pouted. "Ow, Sonny. Temper, temper!" I poked her cheek.

"You're annoying." She said childishly.

"Ah, you love me."

She startled me by leaning in and kissing me lightly. I froze, suddenly feeling very, very warm but she leaned away before I could react.

"One way to settle this," She said casually. "Let's see who can hang upside down the longest!" She swung herself up, just like I'd taught her forever ago. I moved slowly, trying to ignore the urge to touch my mouth. My lips felt warm.

* * *

TPOV

"All right, ladies and gentlemen!" Miss Henderson called as we finally, _finally_ arrived at the hotel. "Is everyone here?" There was a shuffling as we looked around, trying to keep track of our own casts.

"Allie's not." Nico said.

"Neither is Chad." Chastity said, smirking. I groaned, exasperated.

"Are you _kidding_ me?"

Jenny looked furious. "Those two are in _so_ much trouble." She growled.

I looked at Nico helplessly. "This is getting out of control." I murmured to him. "She spends more time with... _him_ than she does with us."

He sighed and nodded, pulling out his phone and dialling. We waited, watching Nico as he held the phone up to his ear, his fingers drumming impatiently.

"Allison." He said finally. "Where _are_ you?... Where- where are _we_? We're at the hotel, you nutcase! And yeah, we know you're with Cooper," He growled. After a few more seconds, he hung up.

"Well?" I demanded.

"They're at the _park_." He said scathingly.

"The _park_?"

"Yeah. Apparently it's '_a place full of memories!_" He said, impersonating Allie with a high-pitched voice. "They're on their way back now."

For the next ten minutes, Miss Henderson ran through rooms and the schedule for the week. We were supposed to be leaving the hotel then, but we had to wait for the 'wonder couple' to come back. They finally walked through the doors; faces flushed and hands tangled together.

There was a stony silence.

"Hey... guys," Allie said sheepishly, moving away from Chad and towards us. "What's the... haps?"

We stayed silent, and Miss Henderson walked forward, looking like she wanted nothing more than to scream at them both.

"Now, we're meant to go walking around the town," She said softly. "But I'll have you know that I am very, _very_ angry at you both." She paused, taking a deep breath. "But the... confrontations will have to wait 'til later. For now, I'll tell you this- if this happens again this... trip, I will send you both _straight_ to Mr Condor," They stared at the ground. "And I'm not so sure you'd leave that meeting with your jobs."

We left the hotel, then. No one had anything to say.

And they were still walking together.

* * *

CPOV

As we walked further away from the hotel, everyone faded into normal conversation. Slowly, I started to recognise where we were. Dread curled my stomach- there was one thing I could see ahead; Chad's old house.

Oh no.

"Keep walkin', Chad. Don't look 'round." I muttered, closing in to hug him from behind as his footsteps slowed.

"Sonny," He whispered, his voice coming out hoarse as he stared at the house. "Oh, my days..."

"Don't do it." I pleaded, as he started to turn and walk towards it. "Don't do it, Chad, oh, please, please, don't do this to yourself!" We were definitely attracting attention from our cast-mates now, but I ignored the glares. "Chad, honey, don't do it, don't do it." I whispered frantically as he shook me off and continued to walk forward, like he was in a trance.

The door opened.

Joe Goldfarb stepped out.

And all hell broke loose.

* * *

**A/N ****[1] I have no clear idea if you Americans have these... all I know that after going on caravan-ing holidays in England for about 85% of my summer holidays is that I've been in an awful lot of these. The car parks are HUGE. We park, grab something to eat, sleep in the caravan for a few hours, then get back on the road to wherever we're going. :)**

**Ugh. The whole Tawni point of view was... so... painful... to write. It's definitely the weakest part of the chapter.**

**Now, I want all of your opinions on the whole Amy bit. Is it too creepy? Is it making anyone uncomfortable? The whole Amy acting all creepy and... lesbian-y was not planned. It seemed to write itself. And for anyone who thinks it's unlikely that someone would ever actually _do_ what Amy does to Sonny; Amy is not right in the head. She's not. And you'd be surprised what bullies can do; this kind of stuff DOES NOT only happen in [fan]fiction. Bullying is a very serious issue. I don't know anyone whose had an experience close to Sonny's in this story, but I know it can happen.**

**Please review... reviews are love! :)**

**Love,**

**Hannah xo**


	66. A Confrontation or Two

**Hello, lovelies! I am _so_ sorry for the delay... I think this is the longest it's taken me to update DIKY. Ever. *head desk* And yeah... it's school. Again. Our teachers have decided to give us all giant homework due for the same day so... That's what I was focusing on. But today and yesterday I haven't been feeling very well, so I stayed home from school today- which gives me time to write! :)**

**Thank you for all your reviews. You guys are incredible.**

**Warning: Instances of language. It was necessary!**

* * *

Chad's face slowly sank from hurt shock to hide behind a sarcastic smirk.

"This should be fun," He muttered. I twisted my hands together, unable to make my feet move after him to stop him. I sent a prayer to God that he'd be okay.

"What's goin' on?" Tawni yelled. I managed to glance ahead at them for a second, to see both casts staring back at us, hands on hips. I didn't say anything, just shook my head as I turned back to watch my best friend face one of his demons.

"Please, Chad. Let's just go!" I whispered, reaching after him. He stepped further away from me, and closer to Joe.

I heard footsteps clomping towards me, and flinched in acknowledgement as Tawni stood beside me, folding her arms impatiently. The others were walking back more slowly, looking curious. I bit my thumbnail.

"Seriously, though, can we just not _go_? You two are causing a right mess." Tawni fumed to me. I shook my head again, feeling my throat close over. Call it intuition, but I definitely could not see Chad's meeting his estranged father going well. Chad continued to take small steps towards him, slumped with his hands deep in his pockets. Joe brushed a hand through his hair, and something caught the light.

A ring.

A wedding ring.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Chad's voice exploded from him with the force of a bomb. Joe spun around, looking insulted. I felt a small flash of victory as his eyes widened at the sight of his only son, who was moving towards him rather more quickly now. He backed a few steps away, holding his hands up and not saying anything as he stared at my best friend.

Chad made a move like he was going to make a swing, but stopped at the last second.

"You... you married her. Didn't you?"

Joe was still silent and his son stared back at him.

"She was pregnant." Joe said finally.

"You married... her." Chad's voice didn't sound arrogant or shocked anymore. It was just... small. Joe's silence did nothing to soothe my nerves as Chad slowly backed away from his father again.

"Julia found out. It's why she threw me out." Joe offered up the words like an apology, like they even started to explain what he'd put his family through.

Chad spat in his face.

"Don't say her name. DON'T YOU DARE!" He yelled. He walked backwards, back towards me. I caught his arm as he came within range. "...Man-whore." He added spitefully. Joe forced a smile and leaned forwards.

"Yeah? Well, DIVORCING YOUR MOM IS THE BEST THING I'VE EVER DONE!" He yelled at his son. I gave Nico and Grady pleading looks, and they caught on, grabbing onto Chad as he tried to dive at Joe, screaming incoherently in Spanish and swinging his fists. I watched Joe as he walked away, too numb for my own anger to come out.

Chad didn't calm down even after Joe was out of sight

"I'm- I'm gonna kill him!" He spluttered, finally switching back to English, "That- that evil-"

I shot Jenny a pleading look.

"Give me two minutes with him." I whispered. She nodded slowly, mouthing _"__Two__minutes,__"_. I walked over and grabbed Chad's wrist. He stopped flailing furiously for a few seconds and he looked at me for a second before starting to squirm and swearing again.

"C'mon, you. Let's get you calmed down," I said cheerfully, before unceremoniously dragging him off behind me, out of earshot but not out of sight of everyone else.

"I'm going to kill him," He repeated blackly, his eyes finally landing on me. "I _am__going__to__kill__him!__"_ I sighed, sneaking a glance over at our casts. They were definitely not going to like this, but stopping Chad committing homicide was more important than keeping him happy.

I caught his other wrist and pulled him towards me..

"Stop flailing and _listen__to__me_." I said sharply. His only response was to wriggle harder, attempting to get away from me. I sighed again, hoping my cast wouldn't kill me.

"I did ask you nicely," I sighed, then twisted his arm around.

"Ow! Hey!"

"Calm down."

"Get _off _me!"

"Calm down."

"Just-"

"_Calm down_." I snapped, and he finally stopped. I released his arm and stared at him, holding ,my hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"Calm?" I asked.

He stared at me blankly for a second. "Yeah." He muttered finally. "He... he got her pregnant." He whispered. I sighed.

"I know."

"He _married _her."

"He didn't deserve your mom, Chad."

"I have a half brother or sister. He cheated and... oh my days." He had gone very white as the news started to sink in. "I'm think I'm going to be sick."

And he was. I winced and knelt down beside him as he retched.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly. He was shaking as I helped him to his feet. I wrapped an arm around his waist and led him back to our cast-mates.

"Can we go?" I asked, giving Jenny a pointed look. My cast were staring at Chad with shock, as if they'd never seen him before. Marta and Devon were giving him faintly disgusted looks.

"It was my dad. Stop staring at me." Chad said shortly, wiping his mouth. As we started to walk, they kept looking back at him

"We're going to get dinner now, everyone!" Jenny called, looking back at us warily. I could hear the buzz of voices behind us, but me and Chad stayed silent as we walked.

"Are you going to throw up again?" Marta asked loudly, looking disgusted. I gave her a dirty look.

"Piss off, Marta." I snapped.

"It's none of your business, flea bag."

"And it's yours... how?"

She clapped a hand over her heart. "Chaddy will realise our love one day."

Chad's eye twitched. "...Piss off, Marta."

* * *

The morning passed into the afternoon in a stream of awkward silences and arguments. It wasn't until we were allowed to split into casts that I had to face my Nico, Tawni and Grady's questions. I swallowed as they stared at me, arms folded.

"Hi, guys..." I said, waving awkwardly. I was met with three hostile faces.

"You chose him." Tawni said coldly. I stared at her.

"Excuse me."

"You chose him... over us."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Me and Tawni's relationship had been pretty rocky ever since the time I shouted at her for coming to my apartment. Half the time we were friends; half the time she sat there, _glaring_ at me.

It was ridiculous.

"Tawni, I have no idea what you're talking about." I folded my arms.

"I'm talking about that scene back there." Her voice shook a little. "When we asked you to come back and to leave him... you didn't. You chose him over us."

I froze. Tawni _had_ tried to get me to come back over to the group, hadn't she?

But Chad... Chad had needed me.

"He needs someone to make sure he doesn't get himself hurt." I said firmly. "If his cast don't know, then who else is going to do it?"

Tawni flinched, like I'd hit her. "Know what?" She hissed. I glanced at the boys, who were staring at me like they'd never seen me before.

"That's not your business, Tawni. All you need to know is that that guy was Chad's dad, and that if he comes near Chad, it's not gonna be pretty. Did you _see_ his reaction today?"I barely waited to see Tawni nodding. "That- that _asshole_ is nothing good. And Chad is so _stupid_ about not-good things." I looked down at the ground. "I can't- I can't just watch someone make a stupid decision that's gonna get them really, really hurt. Can you... understand that?"

"There's more to it than that, Allie. There's more to you... and _him_ than that."

I started, but shrugged at her. "I've known the dude since he was eight. I have a less... clouded vision of him than you have."

"But you still... you chose him over us."

I glared at her. Had she not heard a single word I'd just said?

"Well... then, maybe, he was the better choice." I pushed past her, leaving them behind.

* * *

"Tawni is being unbearable." I scowled. Chad chuckled. We were sitting in the restaurant with our casts. My cast weren't particularly happy with me, so it was a big relief when Jenny announced we had to sit beside our partners. Tawni kept glaring at me.

"On a down again, are we? You two are ridiculous. You wouldn't think you were friends, I swear."_. _

I folded my arms, glaring. "It's not _funny_!"

"It's a _little_ funny."

"It's not."

"Is."

"Isn't!"

"You're adorable when you get all argumentative." He smiled at me. I caught myself blushing before giving him a shove.

"Yeah, well, then I'm about to be gorgeous." I smirked.

"_E__n realidad, siempre eres hermosa,_"

"¿_Estás tratando de hacer que la situación empeore? Mi __emitir__ podemos decir siempre cuando estamos coqueteando._"

"You're already fighting with them, we may as well make it less... pointless." He whispered. I snickered. "You've got a point there, buddy." We continued like that for a few minutes, all laughs and banter, until the glares from both our casts finally sunk in for me. The severity of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks.

"Oh, what are we doing?" I asked, leaning my head on my hand.

"What do you mean?" He asked, a little wary.

"Our casts... our friends. We're lying to them."

"I know."

"We've made a mess." I whispered. I heard him sigh, as he took in the situation as firmly as I did.

"... Yeah." I stared blankly at the menu in front of me, not taking anything in. "There's gonna be hell to pay if they find out."

I rubbed my forehead. "_When_ they find out, you mean." He shrugged, but I knew I was right. The fact that we'd been lying and lying and _lying_ to them had suddenly hit me and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. They were already upset with me. Would they ever even take me back if- _when - _they found out me and Chad were friends- best friends- and had lied about it?

I wasn't sure.

I'd only been a Random for a couple of months; sure, it felt like longer but... in reality, that was all it had been. They'd welcomed me in easily... but didn't that mean they'd let go of me just as easily?

The implications were making my head hurt.

* * *

CPOV

As we were leaving the restaurant, a hand grabbed me and pulled me back. I turned to see Nico and Grady, who were- surprisingly- not glaring at me.

"Um... were you needin' somethin', losers?" I asked, trying not to react to my natural accent coming out.

"Yeah, actually- wait, why are you talking like that, dude?" Nico said, cutting himself off mid-sentence.

"I ain't a Californian, Random. I'm just good at pretendin' to be one." I said, stuffing my hands into my pockets. "Texan born and bred." I added, exasperated at their blank faces. Nico nodded, then his face settled into a stern look.

"What's up with you an' our girl, Pooper?" He asked seriously, folding his arms. _Ah_. Sonny had told me he was like, the daddy of the group.

"I don't know what you mean." I said, shifting my weight.

"You know fine well what we mean!" Grady snapped. I stared at him.

"No, I don't. Explain." Nico put a hand on Grady's shoulder, giving him a warning look. _Seriously?_

"You're messing with her head Pooper. We keep having to fight with her _about_ ya, which seems to be making her run _to_ ya. You're pulling her away from us, which is annoying, because you don't even _like_ her."

I stared at them. "Are you... seriously, guys?" I sighed, trying to regain coherency. Sometimes they were so... unintelligent. "First of all; by tryin' to tell her what to do, you're pushing her away all by yourself. Sonshine has her own mind and she's proud of it; bossing her about is only gonna get her to do the opposite of what you want. Secondly; I do quite like her, actually. And third; from the way she keeps ranting on about you all bitching her out, especially Tawni, it would appear that I _am_ nicer to her than you lot." I said bluntly.

"Yeah, right, okay. And we're in Narnia." Grady said sarcastically. I gave him an appraising look, a smirk making its way onto my face.

"Oh, so _you're_ the one with the crush on her?" I asked. "Man, you're getting _so_ far with that. She's totally into you, man."

"I- I'm working on her. She'll come around." He said, sticking his chin up, although he went red. I gave him a look of disgust.

"Really? 'Cause word from her is she rejected you... more than once." His spluttering was immensely enjoyable to watch. The dude needed to back off my best friend before I ripped his hands off and hid them. "After all... _I'm_ the one she's kissed. More than once, actually." I watched in amusement as he got angrier. Nico made a move to restrain him again. I raised an eyebrow. _Bring it, Random. I could do with hitting someone right now. Seeing as you two stopped me earlier..._

I smiled at condescendingly at them.

"Grady, chill out, buddy. He wants ya to punch him." He muttered. I grinned.

"Well, it's been lovely talkin' to you, gentlemen, but if you'd excuse me..." I made to walk away, but was stopped. Again. I turned to face Nico again, raising an eyebrow.

"Leave our girl alone." He said, shoving at me. I smirked again.

"Never." I promised, resisting the urge to flip them off as I walked away. I could hear them behind me as we hurried to catch up with the rest of the group. Marta looked at me like I'd grown a third head as we caught up to them. I gave her a dazzling smile, causing her to give me a too-wide smile in return.

Sonny glanced back at me as Nico and Grady gathered on either side of her, talking animatedly. I felt a stab of guilt; I'd probably made the Random situation worse. Before I could act on or even think about that guilt much though, something else happened.

I heard quick footsteps behind me and just as I turned _something_ hit me with enough force that I hit the ground with a smack. Her weight followed me down and I yelled out a stream of swear words.

"Stop _squirming, _little brother, it's not gonna do anything-" I ignored her and tried to move away.

"Get off me-"

"Not until you explain-" Vanessa snapped, pushing up on her arms and keeping my firmly shoved down between her and the hard ground. I glared at her and pushed my arms around her waist.

"What are you-" Her words cut off as I rolled over, pinning her to the ground instead of the other way around.

"Ha!"

"Oh, please, I could push us back over in a-"

"Go ahead then, _big sister_, go ahead." I grinned. She didn't move.

"Get off me, dead weight." She snapped.

"I win!" I said, pushing to my feet and not offering to help her up as she struggled to push to her feet.

"Ever the gentlemen, huh, CT?"

"Ah, but only for you, VK!" I grinned at the confused looks we were getting.

"Would you mind explaining, like, who this even _is_?" Marta asked, giving my sister a look of deep dislike. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"This, Mall-Mart, and my hilariously confused looking Randoms, would be my bad tempered, deservingly blonde older sister, Vanessa Kendall Cooper." I said, wrapping an arm around Nessa's shoulders protectively. She pushed at me.

"Aw, a family reunion." I mused. "Isn't this going to be... fun?"

I smirked at the mix of glares and shocked looks I received.

* * *

**Unf, that ended weird. I'm sorry.**

**Haha. Who liked Vanessa's reappearance? I did! Oh my days, I like writing Vanessa. She's so much fun :D And Chad's confrontation with Nico and Grady was so much fun to write! I apologise for the Grady bashing, though, it was all necessary. More so, I apologise for the lack of Channy! There'll be more next chapter, promise ;)**

**Once again, my SINCERE apologies for the wait! Feel free to lecture me on my horrible updating skills :p**

**Now- hit the sexy new review button, and drop me a review! Whether you liked it or hated it, I wanna know :)**

**Love,**

**Hannah xo**


	67. Family Reunion

**Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. I had coursework and then my exams started, so I've been a little bit all over the place. Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You guys are the best :)**

**immature shoutouts to past decembers & randomsmileyperson for agreeing that yes, the new review button is sexual ;) **

* * *

Vanessa made the whole situation even more awkward. Its sounded rude and selfish and more than a little cruel, but a part of me wished she hadn't turned up just then. But Chad was smiling away and I knew that she was probably the only person he even slightly trusts to look after his family and that it was good for him to breathe and relax for a second.

But my cast and his were giving more suspicious glances to us than ever and now I was the only one feeling them because Chad was hanging back, whispering frantically to an increasingly furious Vanessa, who looks like she's going to commit homicide.

I guessed he'd told her about their... dad. Jenny looked aggravated and was really trying to hurry us along. I felt kind of bad for creating so many messes in the past few weeks- the woman looked stressed out. I wondered vaguely if Condor was giving her a hard time.

An arm looped through mine, pulling me from my thoughts. I looked at Tawni, my eyebrows raising. As far as I'd been concerned, she wasn't talking to me.

"What?" I asked. I didn't want her to talk to me. I didn't know what to say. I needed to figure out what I'd say if she asked me to choose- Randoms or Chad?- because I knew what the answer would be. And I couldn't see it going over too well.

"I didn't figure he'd get along with his sister." Tawni muttered. I blinked- that _definitely_ wasn't what I'd expected. I shrugged.

"He loves them to pieces."

"Even when they tackle him to the ground, apparently."

"Vanessa has my total respect for that." I giggled, then paused. "But don't let her near me, because she's giving me scary looks."

"She looks pretty harmless, girl."

"No way! If she tackles me, it's only gonna end in a cat fight. I've been cat fight clean for too long to get back into it!" I paused at the look on Tawni's face. "_Long_ story."

"I don't wanna know."

"That's probably best." I smirked. But in a few seconds, we descended into awkward silence again. Aw. It had been nice while it lasted, antway. As we reached the hotel, Jenny stopped us.

"Okay, everyone! Straight up to your rooms, now. I think we've had enough excitement for one day." She levelled a dark glance at the two present Cooper siblings. Vanessa gave her an angelic smile, before turning to her brother.

"Be good, baby brother! I have to go pick up Mom and our sisters from the airport. _Adios!_" She turned away, then paused. "Yo, Munroe, come talk to me a sec." She said, giving me a little smile. I tried not to gulp.

"I'll be in as quick as possible, Miss Henderson." I promised Jenny, feeling a stab of guilt at the rather defeated look on her face. She just waved me off.

I walked over to Vanessa reluctantly. She crossed her arms, waiting for everyone to go inside. I stared at the ground, somehow feeling like a misbehaving child. I waited.

"So, how's it feel messing with my little brother's head?" She snapped.

I sighed. "I'm not messing with him, Vanessa."

"Really? So you totally explained to him just _what_ you were thinking when you _kissed_ him?" Her eyes were accusing.

I rubbed my hand over my face, frustrated. "I wasn't- 'Nessa, I was _drunk_. I didn't even know about it 'til I saw the magazines the next day!" I hated how I sounded like I was lying. I _didn't_ remember deciding to kiss Chad.

"You know what they say." She gave me a cool glance. "'Drunk mouth, sober words.'" And I couldn't think of anything to say to that. "Nothing? Really, where's the mouthiness my brother admires? You both just _love_ shooting your mouth off at people. So hit me with it."

Me and Vanessa had a... love/hate relationship. She was the most like Chad, the most demanding, rude and _protective_ of the Cooper sisters. She liked to challenge me, and I hated her for it at times. But at the same time- she was the older sister I never had.

"Honey, if you're messing with his head- all sisterly feelings I feel for you aside, _I will destroy you_."

I gave a short laugh at the complete absurdity of that; somehow the implication let me find my tongue.

"I couldn't hurt him Vanessa. I can shoot my mouth off and double coat my words until they're sharp enough to pierce him, but _not _at him. He's my best friend. He's... my rock. I'm too selfish to let him go again, anyway."

"You really are selfish, aren't you? But your _his_ best friend, and I've known you a while. You just... Man _alive_, Sonny, you need to sort this out! Chad's probably tyin' himself into knots over this. You know what he's like when he starts over-thinking."

I took a deep breath. Vanessa was like my sister. And I needed to confess this to... _somebody_. "Look, me and Chad have been... really back and forth these past few weeks, ya know?" I said in a rush. She nodded slowly. "And it's been... fights, and lies, and honesty and..." I whispered the last word. "...attraction..."

Vanessa stopped. "Attraction? So you're _admitting_ it now?"

"I don't know! I'm so confused!" I cried.

"You know, I'm torn between throttling you and giving you a hug. You look so lost." Vanessa commented, her hands

hanging by her sides uselessly.

"This is the first time I've admitted that to _myself_, never mind anyone else!" I mumbled. I couldn't believe I'd just said that. It had been creeping over my mind the past few weeks. Little things; smiles that made my stomach go weird, looks that made me feel hot and cold at the same time... attraction.

Uh oh.

"Sonny? Are you hyperventilating?" Vanessa asked. Her fierce demeanour had slipped entirely now, and she just looked worried.

"Maybe a little bit." I said faintly. I was attracted to my best friend.

"Look... Sonny, the last thing, and I mean the _last_ thing, Chad is ever going to admit to, is being attracted to you, okay? But... he is, and that's the truth. So don't try and think too much. Just do... what feels right, okay?"

I froze. "Whoa, whoa, hold up. You think I should _act_ on this?"

Vanessa gave me a look. "You and Chad were always gonna fall in love at some point, kiddo."

Blood rushed to my face. "L-love? Who said anything about _love_? All I said was... I'mattractedtohim." An awkward, burning feeling erupted in my chest. After all the times I'd denied it...!

"Oh, for dears' sake, Sonny! Stop looking so awkward! You don't need to go snog him right now. Just... 'fess up at some point, okay?"

Vanessa wasn't laughing at me, at least. And... a small part of me was a _little_ relieved at figuring out some of me and Chad's weirdness from the past few months.

But that didn't make it any less scary.

"Now, I _really_ have to go. Mom's gonna go ballistic if I don't get to the airport soon." Vanessa bit her lip. "It's gonna be fine, Sonny. Okay? See you later!"

And with that, she was gone.

But the feelings I'd finally allowed to surface and _hit_ weren't.

* * *

Early the next morning, me and Nico were the first down to the lobby.

"So... a Cooper family reunion then?" Nico asked, looking faintly interested.

"It's not hard to spot. Just look for a group of blonde people. Lots and _lots_ of blonde people..."

"Any girls?" He looked hopeful. I hoped Tawni hadn't heard that.

"Nico, did you ever study Biology in school?" I asked innocently. "Pretty much all families involve girls... somewhere."

He choked. "Since when are you such a smart ass?"

I grinned. "I feel obligated to be sarcastic sometimes. It's a part of my personality. And charm."

"Sure it is. Maybe Pooper falls for that, but I ain't buyin' it."

Now it was _my_ turn to choke. "Ch-Chad? Pft, where does Chad come into this?" I flushed scarlet, because honestly, with my new... uh _feelings_, everything to do with Chad made my face feel hot.

Nico snickered. "Girl, yo' face is as red as the sun when it sets!"

I ducked my head, letting my hair fall over my burning cheeks. "Shut _up_, Nico!"

"Aw, Allie's got a crush."

I peeked up at him. "You're okay with that?" I bit my lip. "Not that I do, of course!" I added quickly. _Attraction doesn't necessarily mean a crush, right? I have a crush on... on... someone else._

_Someone like..._

"Yeah, sure I'd be okay with that. I mean... Come on. You're our friend. It'd be stupid to push you out over that."

I smiled at him, brushing my hair back behind my ear. "Thanks, Nico."

"You're welcome, A. Just... remember Grady and Tawni might not like it so much."

"What about Zora?"

Nico grinned at me. "Please. The kid worships the ground you walk on!"

"Who worships what?" Tawni asked, coming up behind us. I grimaced.

"Nothin', Tawni." Nico glanced from me to Tawni, rolling his eyes.

"Play nice, ladies." He instructed, before walking over to Grady.

I walked away before Tawni could even open her mouth.

"Hey, Allie!"

"Hi, Chastity." I smiled. She twirled her hair around her fingers.

"So, how are you? I haven't had a chance to talk to you in a while."

Chastity was nice. Chastity was sweet. Chastity was less judgemental than Tawni. Chastity was my _friend_. The whole rivalry with Mack Falls was so stupid... Being the 'new girl', I'd never really had a chance to get caught up in it, other than with competitiveness. And obviously, I didn't hate Chad. I quite liked Chastity. I really, _really_ didn't like Marta and Devon, but that was for a genuine reason, not out of principle. I hadn't really seen enough of Skylar to be able to judge him.

"I'm okay. You? How have _you_ been?"

She giggled. "Oh, y'know. I've been getting along. I keep fighting with Marta now, though." She said, pulling a face.

"Oh, really?" That _was_ a surprise. Chastity, other than the occasional snappy remark, seemed to get along with pretty much everyone. Marta, on the other hand, was completely horrible.

"Yeah. She's just been so... _annoying_ lately. I mean, she's always been a little whiny, but _whoa_! The girl doesn't have a good thing to say about anyone these days. And she's so mean to me! Honestly, I can sort of, _kind of_ bear it when she's ranting on and on about people I don't know and will probably never meet, but when she starts insulting _me_ and how I look and the way I act, then I'm not gonna sit and take it like a demure little sweetheart." She ranted, waving her hands about.

I gave her a huge grin. "You go, Chas! Don't let her get to you."

She smiled back at me. "Thanks, Allie. Sometimes it's hard having a cast of mostly boys and... Marta. It's nice to have another girl to talk to once in a while, y'know?"

_Poor kid_. "Yeah, I totally get that." I said.

"All-_lie_." Tawni called. I heaved a sigh.

"Duty calls." I mumbled to Chastity, rolling my eyes. She gave another little giggle, waving me off. I turned and walked to where my whole cast was now standing. "Yes, Tawni?" I asked shortly.

"What were you doing just now?" She asked, frowning. I folded my arms.

"I was talking to Chastity, Tawni." I said slowly, like she had hearing problems. She wrinkled her nose.

"You weren't... _bonding with the enemy_ were you?"

I stared at her, and something inside me _exploded_. "Oh my days, Tawni! I was talking to Chastity! It's not that big a flipping _deal_!"

She pursed her lips. "It is if you're bonding with the enemy! She's a Falls kid, Allie! You can't just go off bein' all friendly with her!"

"What are you, twelve? Chastity's a really nice girl, Tawni."

"You can't go off being friends with them Allie!"

"And why not?" She opened her mouth, but I wasn't done. "Seriously, Tawni. You seriously need to get the stick out of your ass and just _grow up_ already!"

She glared at me. "Listen to yourself! They're _brainwashing_ you!"

My hand twitched. I wanted so, _so_ badly to slap her. "Listen to _me_? Listen to YOU, Tawni! You're the one persistently acting like a complete _child_ and going on with this enemies crap! You don't know the Falls kids! They could be perfectly _lovely_ people but you've just LABELLED them before they could even speak to you! So seriously, who's the mean one here? Who's being cruel and judgemental?" I gave her the dirtiest look I could. "It's not them, Tawni. It's _you._"

"And you do?"

"Chastity is being a lot less of a complete _bitch_ than you are, and Chad is probably the sweetest, most adorable guy I've ever met." I snarled, not even blushing as I mentioned Chad.

Tawni looked like she wanted to spit on me. "Oh, of course." She snapped, throwing her thick hair over her shoulder. Her eyes were dark with fury. "It _all_ comes back to Chad."

"You know what? Yeah, it does. At least he has the decency to look at you without pretty much spitting in your face."

"_Decency_? Chad Dylan Cooper isn't _decent_, Allison." She stated, pushing back her anger and going all condescending on me. "He's the scum of the earth."

"Tawni, just _shut up_. The poor guy hasn't actually _done_ anything to you, except from shooting his mouth off."

"You're defending him." She stated, sounding completely disgusted. I looked at her, letting all the _contempt_ I felt pour out.

"Yeah, 'cause you know what? He _needs_ to be defended from people like you."

Nico grabbed Tawni's arm.

"Okay, that's _enough!_ Calm down. Both of you."

I bared my teeth at Tawni. "I _am_ calm, Nico. Tawni here, on the other hand, seems to have a little problem controlling herself."

She glared at me. "I'm done here. Don't come crying to me whenever he shatters that perfect little image of himself he's got built in your head."

I gave her a sarcastic smile. "Don't worry, Tawni. You're the last person I'd go crying to about _anything_. I wouldn't want me and my problems to get in between you and your mirror." I spun away, unable to deal with her another second.

* * *

"_Wow_. That's a lot of blonde people..." Jenny's plan had been for us to go to the park and take a nice walk. But we got a little bit distracted by the Cooper family reunion. I giggled, recognising faces.

"Ohh, looks like Adam finally got the girl!" I said, attracting weird looks from my friends. I shrugged. "He's liked her for_ever._"

Before they could reply, gracing me with whatever sarcastic comment had occurred to them, a voice called out.

"Son-_nay_ Mun_roe_!"

"Been a _long_ time since I heard my name said like that," I muttered, as a pair of hands grabbed me and pulled me into foray. I was passed from relative to relative, receiving multiple hugs and comments on how _big_ I'd gotten. It was kind of sweet how excited everyone was to see me. I'd forgotten, over the years, how much I loved this family.

"Having fun?" A familiar voice whispered. I jumped, not having noticed Chad creeping up behind me. I could feel myself blushing. He grinned at me. "Hey, you."

"Hey, yourself." I smiled. "And of course I'm having fun being passed between your family members. I think this is the first time my feet have touched the ground in ten minutes."

He poked me. "Well, it ain't hard to sweep you off your feet, now is it?"

I giggled. "Aw, the accent has entered the building."

"Building? I'm a person!"

"Actually, the 'CDC' is the common abbreviation for the Centre of Disease Control. Congrats, Chaddy; you're a contagion!"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You're ridiculous."

I bit my lip, trying not to giggle obnoxiously. "But you love it."

"That's my line!"

I flicked him. "I'm feelin' spontaneous. Deal with it."

He grabbed my hand, twirling me around and pulling me in. "I think I will,"

My breath hitched and I pulled away from him, blushing furiously. It was a good thing someone came over just them, because if I'd tried to talk, it was guaranteed to be a word vomit. Chad wandered away with his aunt, and I tried to stop blushing. It was getting ridiculous, really; it was barely twelve hours since I'd started acknowledging this... _thing _I had for my best friend, and now _everything_ was making me blush.

Crap.

Before I could start thinking too hard, though, I got distracted by my phone.

"Hello?"

"Allie, where _are_ you? You were there one second, then you weren't." Nico complained.

I snickered. "Got pulled in by the reunion. Caught up with some old buddies."

"You're _buddies_ with Chad's family?"

I grinned. "Yep. Now stop being such a mother hen, I just need to grab Chad before he does something dumb."

"Do I even want to know?"

"Nah, his family just knows that he's easy manipulated. See you in a bit." I hung up before Nico could argue with me; Jenny would kill Chad if he snuck off with his family.

"Chad!" I called. I pushed through a couple of giggling cousins, both of whom hugged me as I passed.

"Sonny, Son, Sonshine, how can I help you?" He grinned. I groaned. He already had someone's small child in his arms.

"Chad, we need to get back to our casts before Jenny plans homicide."

"Oh, okay." He didn't put the kid down.

"Chad, honey, it's adorable how into babysitting duty you get, but it's _really_ time to go. Give her back to her momma." He sighed.

"Later, kiddo." She flashed him a big smile, before running off to find her mom.

"Chad Dylan Cooper, babysitter extrordinaire." I snickered, grabbing his arm and pulling him away.

"I hate being a Cooper." He muttered. "It makes life so boring."

I patted his arm. "Aw, sweetie. Did you find your mom?"

He shrugged. "Nah. They're up at Aunt Alice's, relaxing. I'll see them later."

"Hey... Chad, you know it'll be okay? Your mom and your dad... it'll be okay."

He nodded. "'Course it will. I'm gonna make sure of it."

We walked in silence after that. What had he done to deserve all this? Taking punches to keep his sisters safe. Playing mediator between his parents.

I hoped Charles didn't show his face... because the next time I saw him, he was _so_ dead.

* * *

**This is only a little snapshot of what's to come. Once Chanessa catch up, the Channy will be teased out a little more... :) this is only about half of what I had planned for this chapter, but because of the delay I decided I'd split it up.**

**Look forward to the next chapter, ladies and gentlemen; it's gonna be a wild one! ;D**

**And don't forget to drop a review. Tell me what you think! Remember... reviews are love! It's been a while since I said that ;)**

**Love,**

**Hannah xo**


	68. Hitting the Metaphorical Fan

**A/N Hey, everyone! Once again, I seem to be presenting you with a _very _late chapter. I'm sorry! I hope you know I love you, haha. This chapter was unexpectedly hard to get out; I think you'll be able to detect the parts I struggled at- it's the parts that are just a little too rambly. Although then I hit a certain point and wrote more in the space of about three hours than I did in a week... HA... Anyhoo, thank you SO much for all your reviews! They truly mean the world to me. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! It was a lot of fun to write :)**

**Shout outs to disneylover21 for reviewing EVERY chapter! That must have taken determination, haha, and to FutureActressKS for leaving me a really lovely review that made me smile dorkily at my phone :P**

**OH, and I have to warn you guys, if you haven't seen it on my profile already; I'm deleting some of my stories, including Dream Sky, Operation Cold Shoulder and We. Sorry! I'm also extending 'time slips by like sand in an hourglass' into a series of DIKY Cooper family one-shots, so make sure you check that out, too! :)**

* * *

**Sonny**

"What was that about?" Nico asked as I finally made it back to my cast. I grinned.

"I had to save Chad from baby-sitting duty. His family is ridiculously huge."

Nico pulled a face. "Somehow, I can't imagine Pooper and kids. All I can picture is a load of Dakota Condors, and Chad running."

I had to laugh at that. "Then you'd be surprised."

Nico just looked at me. "I'll take your word for it."

* * *

Jenny did try, to be fair to her. If Mr Condor happened to get frustrated, I would point that out to him.

But really, once the Goldfarb/Dylan clan gathered attention, they rarely released it. She threatened and shouted and coaxed, but she really couldn't do her usual 'show around the town' routine- no one was listening, and Chad kept attempting to leave. Honestly, I had to applaud his attempts; the boy was determined. It really would've worked. The problem lay in the fact that Marta was watching him like a hawk. A hawk with a thing for stalking.

It was one o'clock in the afternoon when Jenny gave up.

"Fine!" She shouted, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Do what you want. Just... be back at the hotel by four, okay?"

Chad grinned in relief, and I found myself being pulled along as he finally got away.

"Chad-"

He gave me a stern look. "Don't complain. My family misses you more than they miss me."

I giggled. "Aw, are you jealous?"

"Psh, no. I just don't want to be complained at. 'Where's Sonny?' they'll say. 'We miss Sonny!'"

"But don't _you_ miss me, Chaddy?" I asked, fluttering my eyes at him. He rolled his eyes. I laughed again, letting him pull me along, to a house I recognised to belong to his Aunt Alice and her family. Coming up the street, I could _hear_ the house before I saw it. Music pounded loudly, and I could hear voices shouting to be heard. Happy, laughing voices. We stepped into the messy, sunshine filled yard, watching as people spilled in and out of the house. I could smell a barbecue and through the clamour I could hear the giggles of the younger kids hiding in the backyard.

"Chad, Sonny!" Aunt Alice greeted, bustling out to meet us, a smile on her face. "Come on in, loves. Teenagers are in the back room."

Chad smiled and thanked her, and I marvelled at how she greeted us; as if no time had passed at all.

* * *

Chad's cousins were not so forgetful- or should I say, not so forgiving?

They were happy to see us, of course. There was nothing overtly cruel in how they were acting. But they were suspicious; I could feel it. A few years of slinking silently through the halls of my high school, hoping to avoid being bounced between my arrogant boyfriend and my frightening ex-friend, I had learned when people were suspicious of me, or my friends; and Chad's cousins were suspicious now.

"How's Hollywood treating you, Sonny?" Charlotte asked me cordially. Charlotte was one of Chad's more distant cousins. They hadn't lived right in the middle of town, in the thicket of family life, and so I hadn't talked to her just as often as I had with some of the others. Everyone else had dispersed to other parts of the house minutes after Chad and I had arrived, and now I couldn't help but be suspicious it was because they didn't want to be exposed to Charlotte's wrath. She played with the ends of her sleek blonde ponytail; fidgeting.

"Ah... okay, I guess. It's still a lot to take in; getting recognised, and all that. Ans it's really busy, but it's nice. I like being out of Wisconsin." She nodded at me politely, then turned to Chad.

"And how about you, O cousin of mine? It's not like we've had many opportunities to talk over the last couple of years. I wonder why that is." It wasn't a question, and Chad and I winced in unison.

"Hollywood's been horribly fake. How has the humble state of Texas been for you?" He forced out, pushing a fake smile onto his face.

"Just _swell_." She muttered, her arms folding.

"C'mon, Char. Leave them alone." The boy Charlotte had introduced as her boyfriend muttered to her.

"Why should I?" She snapped, giving Chad a dirty look. Before the boyfriend could answer though, someone called for us.

"Lunch is served!"

I looped my arm through Chad's, relieved at the distraction. Most, _most_ of Chad's family had been very welcoming and nice. However, there were the few, who like Charlotte, were clearly mad at Chad, and incredulous at me for accepting him back in any way.

It was like my cast, which was ridiculous. Couldn't the people who mattered the most accept what had happened? I was determined that they would come around. They _had _to.

Chad walked out and froze, causing me to nearly bump into him. "Mom!"

He flashed over to his mother quickly, and I could tell he was smiling. Julia laughed and opened her arms for a hug. Chad all but dived into his mothers arms and allowed himself to be hugged very, very tightly for about a second and a half before pulling away, flushing at being caught at showing so much emotion and being a momma's boy, even though we knew he knew he was fooling no one when he slouched slowly back towards me, his hands stuck firmly into his pockets. The little embarrassed half smile tugging at the corner of his mouth combined with his blush made for a very adorable image. I flashed a grin at him.

"Don't be embarrassed, Chad. I'll have you know that _that_ was adorable." I burbled. He raised an eyebrow at me and raised his hand to my forehead, brushing my fringe out of the way.

"Are you sick, Munroe?" He asked me. I swatted at his arm, but lightly. Some days, I thought about Charles, and about how he was a little too loose with his fist.

It made me feel ill. And if I hadn't been so used to suppressing all my anger (because, hey, Amy and Josh had given me more than enough experience at that- collectively) I would have flown so far off the handle at the mere _thought_ of him that he would be lying in pieces, preferably in some dark ditch. Courtesy of my bare hands.

The only thing holding me back was Chad, physically _and_ emotionally. If he ever (correctly) thought I was about to lunge, he'd grab my arm and pull me back- and then he'd promise he was fine, and that he was handling this, and to _please leave it alone_.

And what else could I do?

"Where are my sisters?" Chad asked loudly, putting his hands over his red face.

"They're probably already outside." Charlotte said from behind us. It sounded like she was gritting her teeth. "Can I get through, please? You two are blocking the way."

Chad acquiesced and moved to one side, mumbling something about girls and PMS. I muffled a laugh behind my hand. Charlotte lead the way outside, trailing her boyfriend along. I couldn't help thinking he must have had the patience of a saint, putting up with the girl. I voiced this to Chad, and his lips twitched despite an attempt to keep a straight face and stick up for his cousin.

"It's possible she doesn't usually judge on sight," He offered, still trying not to smile.

"Yeah, and Marta is really a kind, sweet girl whose just a little misunderstood," I countered, raising my eyebrows. If I remembered correctly, Charlotte was the one who ratted us out for replacing all condiments with paint at one family barbecue when we were nine. The result had been a three week grounding and a refusal to let either of us near art products for the rest of that summer.

Outside was a familiar mess. Adults drifted in between each other, laughing and socialising and catching up, while the youngest kids ran around, chasing each other and giggling loudly.

By now, me and Chad had been greeted or at least eye-balled by everyone at least once, and I was grateful to see the more incredulous and/or angry looks had died down. We were quickly absorbed into a conversation with a group of Chad's cousins- excluding Charlotte. Food was shoved into our hands, drinks passed around. It felt almost like the past four years had never even happened.

Almost. Chad gripped my hand, a little too tight, when I made to move away; a not-quite-conscious bid to stop me leaving him; something he'd never have done four years ago.

"Li'l bro!" Vanessa seemed to appear out of nowhere, but Chad's face split into a wide grin.

"Hey, 'Nessa. Where are Hayley and Esme?" He asked. She smiled at him.

"Esme's running around with a bunch of other small children, shrieking in a way that's probably going to damage her vocal chords. As for Hayley... eh, she's around. Somewhere." Chad's eyebrows raised at that. "Don't worry, kiddo, she's just tired. You know what she's like about flying." Vanessa's voice was reassuring, but her smile was just a little too wide for my comfort. For the first time in a long time, though, Chad didn't notice. He nodded understandingly. I gave Vanessa an inquiring look over his shoulder, but she shook her head at me, frowning just slightly. Before I could start biting on my lip though, she inclined her head towards me and Chad's joined hands with a smirk and I blushed despite myself.

"What time is it?" I asked her, trying to push down the redness in my cheeks. She glanced at her phone.

"Ten to four. Do you kids have somewhere to be?" Chad winced.

"Yeah, actually. I'll be back later, okay? Let's go, Sonny!" Chad babbled out quickly, his hand tightening around mine again and pulling me away. It seemed I was getting pulled around a _lot_ today. Vanessa waved at us, looking far too amused for the situation. Again, we were on the receiving end of bemused looks.

* * *

We made our way back to the hotel as fast as we could; not quite running (because, _man_, was it hot out) but not walking either, because if we were _too_ late Miss Henderson would have to report it as a behaviour to Mr Condor, and neither of us could risk our jobs like that. I could see everyone standing outside the hotel, Jenny obviously making them wait until everyone (we) had arrived. We'd caught their eyes when we heard the footsteps and a voice behind us, and spun to see the tiny girl that was running after us.

"Wait!"

Chad had knelt down and held his arms out for her, and before I could ask, he'd received an armful of seven year old girl. He picked Esme up promptly, rolling his eyes and walking the rest of the way back to the hotel with his youngest sister in his arms. Our cast-mates, the Randoms in particular, where staring at him, wide-eyed. He rolled his eyes at them but otherwise ignored them in favour of Esme.

"Did you follow me an' Sonny all the way from the house?" She leaned back a little so they could see each other, smiling impishly and nodded. "And I'm takin' it you left without talkin' to Mom first?" She nodded again, and Chad groaned. "Of course you did, darlin'." He set her down gently, only for her to immediately grip onto his leg like a limpet while he pulled his phone out and pressed a couple of buttons.

"Hey, Vanessa... No, no, calm down, I've got her!..." He looked annoyed. "Of course I didn't. What do you take me for? Nah, she followed Sonny and me. I'm not sure whether to be proud of how thoroughly she ignored the rules or aggravated. Yeah, well. Tell Mom to calm down, a'right? I'll look after Esme 'til I'm free again. If there's a possibility of her running into _him_... Ha, yeah, got it. Okay. Stay out of trouble, sis." Chad hung up, then looked up at the incredulous faces staring at him.

"Calm down, guys. This is my littlest sister, Esme." He nudged her with his foot. "Say hi to the... nice people, darlin'."

Esme looked up shyly, her blue eyes widening innocently. She waved once before going back to hiding her face in Chad's leg. He rolled his eyes. "Just so y'know, kiddo, you're allowed to stay here for a bit." She flashed him a wide smile. "But... you're not getting any ice-cream when everyone's going out tonight." She let out a squawk. "Hey, hey, it's not my fault! You broke the rules, you get punished." He knelt down to her level again. "You _do _know what you did, right? Tell me what you did."

Esme huffed a little sigh. "I went out without asking Mom."

"So why aren't you allowed to get sweets later?"

She pouted at him. "I broke deh rules."

He nodded at her. "That's right. You break the rules, you get punished. It's how life works, kiddo." He pulled a playful face at her. "Even when the price is ice-cream!" Chad stood up and dusted off his jeans. "So, what are we doing now, Jenny?" Miss Henderson stammered a little, but lead us inside. I rolled my eyes.

"What is it with you and frying Jenny's brain, Cooper? I haven't seen the poor woman that frazzled in at _least_ a week." I joked. Chad poked his tongue out at me, and Esme immediately copied.

"Don't do that." He told her.

"Why?"

"It's rude."

"You did it!" She whined. Chad's lips twitched.

"I'm older than you. I'm allowed."

"I'm a whole _seven_ years old." She told him, pouting. He gave her a little grin.

"I'm a whole seven_teen_!" He explained, walking inside with her hand in his. Nico waited for me and caught my eye. I grinned at him.

"Believe it now?" I teased. He swallowed.

"Cooper has a _heart_." He said, sounding awed. I giggled.

"He always has done, Nico. He always has."

* * *

**Chad**

Being away from the studios for a few weeks had gotten me to slip out of the habit of being _Chad Dylan Cooper_. And when my little sister showed up and flashed her puppy eyes at me, I sure as heck wasn't going to make an effort to put him back up; Chad Dylan Cooper would never let his little sister hang around. I, however, definitely would.

So who cared that having my little sister around meant I was forced to act like a bit of an idiot? My reputation was pretty much shot anyway, what with defending Sonny from the paparazzi, carrying her to hospital all those weeks ago and _kissing _Sonny, anyway.

Kissing Sonny. The thought made my stomach feel strange. Strange, but not unpleasant. It was a more pronounced version of how it felt when she kissed me on the cheek those couple of times in front of her cast-mates; warm and nearly fluttery, not that I could admit to _that_. It had been such a shock when I woke after that night in Vegas, my head pounding and my stomach rolling and my mouth very slightly swollen. A good kind of shock though; electrifying and sharp and exciting.

I really, really hoped that didn't mean anything like it did in Hayley's trashy romance novels that I proof-read for her in case they were too old for her. (Which by the way, they _totally_ were. She read them anyway).

And it brought to the front of my mind one of my biggest, most well-kept secrets; what I'd silently dubbed as The Kiss.

The Kiss me and Sonny never spoke about.

The one that happened right after Uncle Blake's funeral. The one we _really_ never spoke about.

Ever.

I'd had it pushed so far to the back of my mind, suppressed it somewhere deep down to a place where I wouldn't have to think about it, because The Kiss was something that was far too difficult for thirteen-year-old me to comprehend along with everything else that had been happening in my life- _our lives_- at that point.

* * *

_As soon we manage to leave the flooded, stuffy church, Sonny is running. I don't even think about it- I run after her instantly, because she _needs_ me. I disregard my mom's advice, which had been to give her 'her space' because that's not what Sonny needs, or even wants. Maybe she needs and wants it from everyone else, but not me._

_She cries to me and no one else. Around everyone else her sobs are silent and she tries to catch any and every tear before they can be seen, like she's ashamed._

_Like she doesn't have any right to cry._

_But when it's just her and me, the tears run unchecked and her sobs are loud and even a little bit hysterical. I chase her through the empty park and watch as she finally stops, slumping down underneath a tree collapsing backwards so that's she's half sitting, half sprawled out awkward way that doesn't look at _all_ comfortable. I take all this in while I move towards her, and pull her across the ground and into me, where I discovered she fits best. Her shoulders are shaking harder than they ever have and sobs slip out of her, loud and hysterical and she grips her hands into the over-fancy shirt I'm wearing, pulling herself closer, _soclose.

_I pat her back lightly, awkwardly, trying not to let any tears slip out myself. Sonny doesn't need me to cry. She needs me to hold her into one piece while she shakes and cries and sobs because otherwise I'm scared she'll crumple into a thousand tiny pieces, right there in front of my eyes. If she crumples, hey, I'll crumple after her just so she doesn't have to face crumple-dom alone._

_Never alone._

_Eventually though, her sobs lessen, becoming less hysterical and lower in pitch, before stopping completely. Tears are still sliding down her face though. I can see them as she pushes herself backwards, looking up at me with those lost, hopeless eyes and my breath hitches because all I want is for that hopeless look to go _away_ even though I'm feeling pretty hopeless myself._

_Her hands, still gripped and twisted into my shirt, are shaking, rather than her shoulders._

_I never am sure who makes the first move but suddenly she's _there, _right there, and her eyes are closed and just before mine can, too, her lips touch mine or my lips touch hers._

_I don't know which. It doesn't matter._

_It's a short, clumsy closed-mouth kiss that doesn't last for more than a few seconds. It's stiff and damp because there are still tears on her cheeks and maybe some on hers too, but for those few little seconds my mind is blank, so amazingly _wonderfully_ blank and I don't know where to put my hands because she's sort of pressed directly into my chest and eventually they settle somewhere at her waist and maybe I'm gripping onto her as tightly as she's gripping onto me._

_It ends as quickly as it begins and we stare at each other, completely lost and our eyes lock and there's a silent agreement to never speak of this- ever- and I stand up and help her to her feet and pull her into me the way I've been doing since I ever heard how her daddy had died._

_It shouldn't be different but it is. Something small had shifted and neither of us ever acknowledged it but now I held her just a little tighter and when she kissed me on the cheek goodbye like she always did it it lasted just a little longer than it ever did and our eyes meet and linger a little longer than they ever do._

_In the rush and hurry and stress that the next couple days, weeks, months, we forget, accidentally or maybe even deliberately that we kissed, we _kissed_, when she was twelve and I was thirteen._

* * *

The memory, oddly enough, was never the first or last thing or _anything_ I consciously thought about all those days and weeks and months and _years_ of missing Sonny after we left for Hollywood. Only once in a while, it would slink into a dream or a nightmare depending on the situation and whether or not Charles had punched me before I'd gone to sleep.

But I remembered it _now_ and dear goodness now it was _all_ I could think about.

Kissing Sonny, that was. From that first kiss under a tree, to that gentle, almost playful kiss in the park the other day which, hey, I still had not commented on.

That seemed to be a recurring theme when it came to kissing my best friend.

_Kissing my best friend_.

It crossed a line, I knew. Kisses are supposed to be between girlfriends and boyfriends, and husbands and wives. Lovers. Not friends. Friends could hug and play and fight and even flirt in a totally non-real way and sometimes even (in a totally, totally platonic way) kiss on the cheek or the forehead or sometimes the hand, though the last one kind of fell under the category of 'non-real flirting'.

But friends, they didn't kiss, did they?

Kissing was for friends, not lovers.

Sonny wasn't my girlfriend. Me and Sonny were friends. _Just_ friends.

Wait, not just friends. We were best friends! And yeah, I'd had other best friends, like Ron, but I'd never ever kissed any of them, on the cheek or otherwise, but Sonny was different; she was...

She was Sonny.

My mind refused to come up with a better answer than that hey, Sonny was _Sonny_ and being Sonny she broke every rule that I had and ever would have. Sonny was... warmth and joy and the proof that yes, good things did last and prayers were answered (because I'd prayed for Sonny to come back into my life, _somehow_, for nearly every night she hadn't been.) Sonny was soft and she was relaxation and she was memories of the sun, the park, sneaking out and getting into trouble that was so, so worth it.

Sonny was...

Sonny was _love_.

Oh, hell.

* * *

Thankfully, we were allowed to split off into our casts. It was a relief- for the first time _ever_- to be away from my best friend. Every time she so much as crossed my mind, I felt my stomach do that weird tugging and fluttering thing and it was really weird and embarrassing and I didn't think I could stand to look at her. Esme was a good distraction; with her little stutter and the fact that she was lisping because she'd lost her second ever tooth she was doing a good job of commandeering my attention. I slipped into big brother mode, ignoring Marta's disgust and Devon's snickers and the fact that Chastity kept _cooing_ at me, which quite frankly, was disturbing.

After hours that felt two or three times as long as they really were, despite the distractions, I finally managed to grab Jenny's attention and get permission to go see my family for a few minutes, under the pretence that my mom had called, wanting Esme home for dinner. It wasn't a _total_ lie- she was bound to have done it within the next half hour, anyway. I'm pretty sure it was just a mom _thing_. She did the same thing for me when I was seven.

I rushed along, giving Esme a piggy-back because otherwise she would've trailed along being all giggly and wanting ice-cream and flowers and other general things that would have slowed us down. I didn't bother knocking at Aunt Alice's, just walked straight in; it was family gathering time, and therefore an open invitation. Only someone with a death wish would have tried to break into the house anyway, with the level of noise coming out of it; I could hear it down the street, much further than we'd been able to when we'd first arrived earlier.

But I was so used to the noise, so good at tuning it out, that I didn't realise that it was a different kind of noise from earlier. I kept Esme on my back as I marched through the house, studiously ignoring the fact that for the first time the halls were empty and it sounded like most everyone was in the front living room, yelling. I had figured it was some kind of game; it had been too long since I'd been at a _full_ family gathering and I was sure they'd come up with dozens more of the crazy 'designed-to-get-all-age-groups-involved' games that came with having a big-ass family like mine. Instead, I stomped straight up the stairs, and into the room which our part of the family used. Vanessa had said Hayley was jet-lagged, so it was guaranteed at least one of my sisters was in there, anyway. It was Vanessa I needed to talk to, but I needed someone to take Esme for me, because as much as I loved my littlest sister and youngest partner in crime, I didn't want her hearing a conversation which centred on me rather desperately trying to figure out exactly what was going on between me and Sonny.

Except that neither Hayley _or_ Vanessa was in the room- it was empty. Their bags were dumped haphazardly across the ground, Hayley's iPod headphones spilling across her sheets and what looked like Vanessa's make-up had evidently fallen out of her bag and rolled along the floor in a disarray. (Had to be Vanessa's, anyway. Hayley didn't wear bright red lipstick. Ever. She wasn't old enough.) It looked like they'd been in a rather large hurry, and that was when I finally started paying attention to the alarm bells that had been ringing in the back of my head since I'd entered in the house.

I set Esme down gently. "Stay behind me, kiddo." I whispered, and she nodded in acquiesce, her little hand grabbing onto mine. I walked down, keeping my footsteps as light as possible and avoiding hitting the creaky spots on the stairs. Esme copied my movements, picking up on how alarmed I was.

I slid into the front living room quietly, and saw why the house was so loud. At least half of my family was crammed in there, most of my cousins and aunts hugging the walls in an attempt to give the floor to the main spectacle; that was, by the way, my mother, two of my sisters... and my father. The set-up reminded me of a very amateur boxing ring. My expanded family were the spectators; my sisters were the referees, and my parents were the boxers.

It seemed like everyone, _everyone_ was screaming. Accusations, excuses, and just all-out shouting. The people on my mom's side, I could see, where gesturing at Hayley, again and again. My heart jumped into my throat and I abandoned the attempt at subtlety. Pressing Esme into the open arms of one of my aunts, I pushed through various family members and entered the war-zone. Hayley and Vanessa turned, caught off guard, while my parents raged on. But I couldn't hear them any more. I could only focus on one thing.

Hayley.

Hayley, with her too-wide, desperate eyes and her hair which was a mess, and large, hand-shaped bruise on her face.

* * *

**A/N OH EM DEE GUYS! WE'RE SOOO CLOSE TO 1400 REVIEWS! THAT'S ONLY THREE REVIEWS AWAY! C'mon... I know we can do it! :D**

**I HOPE YOU LOVED THE CHAPTER. Chaddy's flashback was something I came up with the idea for ages and ages ago and it felt awesome to finally get to write it! :)**

**The crap has really hit the metaphorical fan now, just so you all know ;)**

**Ohhh! I have a mission for you guys! :) My best friend (ever, Willem! O.o... private joke) has recently joined this site! Her username is queenofsaturn14 and she's writing a Harry Potter fic called What Ever Happened to The Dursleys? that's just getting started and it's amazing so far :) It needs more reviews, so your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read it AND review it! I have virtual cookies for you... *waves cookies in front of your faces***

**So... you guys know the drill! Review, 'cause REVIEWS ARE LOVE!**

***dances away singing Demi Lovato music***

**Love, **

**Hannah xo**

**PS My dad shut the internet off while I was writing this AN, so I shall post it in a few hours. Heh.**

**PPS LONG LIVE PINKVATO OMD.**


	69. Guilt of the Father

**A/N Sorry! I am so, so sorry guys :/ it's been far too long, I know! But it's done now! And I actually really love this chapter. I'd been planning out the main events for ages, but it played out so well even though I changed parts of it as I went along.**

**I really hope you all enjoy this chapter! Gosh knows you guys CERTAINLY deserve it, seeing as I've got- oh, THIRTY reviews since the last chapter! *dies* Seriously, what _did_ I do to deserve you all? GAHH. Shout-outs to CDCTheRandomWizard23 for the lovely extra long review and to for leaving lots of reviews! :)**

**The lovely KitKat286 made the new cover for this story! Isn't it awesome? :D**

**ENJOY! :)**

* * *

**Sonny**

After Chad left with Esme, I found myself standing with my cast- but we were a cast divided. Nico came to stand by my side, while Tawni and Grady stood side by side, deliberately looking anywhere but at me. Zora hovered over the invisible dividing line- aware of it, but torn as to which side to pick. I glared between Grady and Tawni.

"Really, guys? Really?" I said, but immediately realised I'd said the wrong thing. Their eyes snapped to me, and I felt a jolt at the look on Tawni's face. She was truly angry; truly, on the verge of hating me for this.

She knew. She knew, if I was forced to- I'd pick Chad. Always.

"You even _sound_ like him, now!" It was an accusation.

"He's not the only person in the world to ever say that, Tawni. Can't you, I don't know, get over yourself or something?"

She drew herself up to her full height- and I wondered, as always, how she managed to stay balanced in those ridiculous heels. They were distractingly tall. "No, I _can't_! You're a _traitor_, Allie!" She yelled. I put my hands on my hips.

"Really? A traitor? Come _on_, Tawni! Stop being such a _child!_"

"I am not a child! If anyone's the child here, _Allison_, it's you. Sneaking around and throwing up walls and _never _facing what you've done wrong!"

"Wrong? I haven't done _anything_ wrong!" I snarled at her. If there was one thing I hated, it was being accused of something I hadn't done.

"Stop acting so damn _innocent_ all the time!" She yelled at me. I saw Zora flinch out of the corner of my eye; I could tell she was starting to get scared by the fighting, and I couldn't help the wave of guilt I felt.

"Will you stop it? I haven't done anything!" She opened her mouth but I didn't want to hear it. "And _don't_ shout back at me! Whatever this is, it's _not_ worth ripping the cast apart."

"_I'm_ ripping the cast apart? _I _am?"

"I didn't say you were! I said whatever you're peed about isn't _worth_ that."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Whatever."

I rolled my eyes. "You know, Tawni? I don't care what you're mad about any more."

"Well, you _should_ care! You should stop being so snappy at us all the time. In fact..." Giving up even pretending to listen and tuning her out, I pulled out my phone and started texting Lucy to catch her up on what had been going on in the past few days. My phone chimed, telling me I had a message, but it was from Chad.

_Fr: Chad_

_Come to AA's. Bring ice pack. Hurry!_

I bit my lip- whatever had happened, it was obviously urgent. I wasn't sure where exactly he was expecting me to get an ice pack, but I'd figure something out.

"Allie, where are you going _now_? It's cast time!" Tawni's loud voice pierced through my sudden worry haze, and I turned around once again, now extremely exasperated.

"Tawni, _lay off_ Chad, okay? There's some extreme stuff going on in his family right now, so if you keep bitching at him someone _is _going to punch you in the face." And it was probably going to be me.

"That's where you're going, isn't it? You're choosing him _again_."

I grimaced and walked away, towards Chad. I knew Tawni was going to follow me. I didn't care any more. What was she going to do; interfere with a family war? I knew she'd probably back right down if she saw all that was going on was shouting. There was an ice pack involved; _someone_ had gotten hurt.

* * *

**Tawni**

"C'mon, guys." I muttered to Grady and Nico, gesturing to Allie. "We need to see this." Grady made to follow me immediately, but Nico hesitated. I tossed my hair. "Nico, come_ on!_"

"We can't just stalk them!" He protested. I tried to ignore my heart sinking at that; I didn't want him taking her side.

"It's not stalking," I assured him. I watched as Allie glanced at us over her shoulder. "I'm pretty sure she's actually expecting it now, actually." He sighed, but followed me. I tried to tune out his mumbles about the 'legality of this'.

Allie was getting closer and closer to Pooper; as much as I wanted to scream at her again, to shake the sense into her- not quite literally, I'd seen Chad when she'd slapped him- another part of me, growing stronger and stronger all the time, wanted to see just _what_ she saw in him that was keeping her fighting for him. Fighting us _for_ him.

She walked quickly, knowing where she was going. We tailed her at a safe distance, even though I was sure she knew we were following. I was confused when she walked into a store to buy an _ice pack_ of all things, but we started going towards Chad again soon enough.

As we reached the end of one street, she picked up into a run. Nico, Grady and I exchanged glances and ran after her. What the heck was going on?

The scene that greeted us was definitely not the one I was expecting.

"YOU! _YOU_ are lecturing ME about family loyalty? Family _loyalty_?" was the first thing I heard as we caught up to Allie. She was standing stock still, watching with shocked eyes. I froze as my brain caught up.

Chad was standing in the middle of the street, surrounded by what looked to be his entire extended family, and facing down the same man he'd tried to throw himself on and start maiming the first day we were in Texas. The man looked furious, his arms hanging stiffly by his sides and a muscle twitching in his jaw as his son continued to scream in his face. It _was_ his dad- they looked too alike to be anything except father and son.

I had an uncomfortable flashback- just a slip of memory, recovered from the drunken buzz that was that night. _"My parents got a divorce when I was thirteen. I live with my mom, my sisters, and my step-dad." _**(chapter 60- Michael's Mix)**

"I just want to make it up to you all. I want to be a part of your lives again." Chad-senior pleaded.

Chad snorted. "Really, _daddy_? What? Do you think we're just going to forget the last _four years_? You think we're just going to FORGET why you're out of our damn lives in the FIRST PLACE?"

Chad-senior flinched. "I've told you I'm sorry-" He tried, but Chad wasn't having it.

"Sorry? _Sorry_ isn't good enough! Where were _you_-" He took a deliberate step forward, getting into his dad's face. "-when Esme started school?" His voice was low, and even I could hear how forced the calm was. He was literally shaking with fury, and for the first time I could see the betrayed, hurt son, rather than the arrogant superstar. Anger had stripped down all other pretences- even the pretences I hadn't realised to _be_ pretences.

"Where were _you_-" He spat the word 'you', as if the very reference of his father was venom on his tongue. "- when Hayley got her first boyfriend? Where were you to tell him to _get out_ and to never touch his little girl? Where were _you_ when Vanessa GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL? Where were you when I got my first girlfriend and I didn't know what to do? Where were _you_ when the _nightmares_ started and Vanessa cried and Esme lost a tooth and when I broke my arm? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN WE _NEEDED_ YOU?"

As he stopped for breath, I could hear choking sobs, and followed the sound to see Chad's sisters. The tallest, who I recognised as Vanessa, had her arm wrapped firmly around another, shorter girl, and they seemed to be just about holding each other upright. I couldn't see the tiny, adorable seven year old who Chad had doted on earlier that day (which I still didn't know how to respond to) and I hoped she was kept away from the screaming. No kid should have to go through that.

Chad's fists clenched, and he leaned right into his dad's face. "I know where you were, _daddy_." The term came out sarcastic; mocking. "You were here, building up your new shiny life with your new shiny kid and your new _slutty_ wife-"

_SMACK._

The strike came so fast, it took a second for it to register in my brain, and by that time Chad was sprawled on the ground, a hand pressed to his mouth. A choked, half sob came through my lips before I could stop it.

Parents should never hit their kids. Ever.

Even if their kids were Chad Dylan Cooper.

He pulled his hand away from his mouth. He gave a noise that could only be described as a giggle, even as filled with hysteria as it was. I'd never seen anyone less amused.

Chad-senior had about three seconds before a furious woman ran at him.

This could only be Momma Cooper.

"HOW DARE YOU HIT _OUR_ _SON_!" She shrieked, grabbing his shoulder and looking like she was considering actually ripping his head off. "YOU DON'T EVEN PAY CHILD SUPPORT AND YOU COME HERE AND YOU _HURT_ HIM_ AGAIN_!"

"DON'T YOU TOUCH ME, YOU CRAZY BITCH!" He roared back at her, his hand raising again-

Chad was back on his feet in a second. "DON'T YOU DARE!" He yelled, diving forward and between his parents. "Don't you hit her-"

Neither parent reacted. Momma Cooper pushed him behind her protectively behind her body, her green eyes blazing. She was shorter than her son, curvy and soft, but was giving off such a strong air of furious mother her ex-husband's eyes widened in alarm. This didn't stop him clenching his fist and raising his arm once more-

_THWACK._

Both parents gaped in shock as their three oldest children's combined weight bowled them to the ground. Chad pinned his father, taking the opportunity to spit in his face. Vanessa grabbed their mother around the waist, holding onto her tightly to stop her killing Chad-senior. Hayley sat in between the two, creating a living, breathing wall to separate them and stop them throwing themselves at each other and ripping each other's faces off.

The reason they stopped the fight became immediately obvious to me as Hayley crawled from the scene to the edge of the family and held her arms out to Esme, and cradled her protectively into her arms.

She was crying.

Vanessa pulled Momma Cooper to her feet and pulled her back with her. Chad rolled to his feet and gave his father a shove as he followed. The Cooper children stood around their mother protectively, forming a united front. Momma Cooper tightened her grip on her youngest, and looked him square in the face.

"Joseph, I agreed to let the kid's make the decision here." She said softly. "I think the decision has been made for us."

He stood rock still.

"Please leave." She said.

Chad-senior- or Joseph, as he'd been identified- looked at his children, one more time.

"Hayley?" He tried. "Vanessa? Chad?"

They stared stonily at him.

"Esme?"

Chad snorted softly. I noticed, suddenly, that Vanessa had a firm arm wrapped around his waist; holding him back. His lip was swollen. "She doesn't even know who you are."

Joseph stared at his children, drinking them in. The tension was heavy in the air; even I could feel it. The close was drawing in, so near it was almost tangible.

He turned and walked away.

The family watched, entirely silent. It seemed almost eerie for such a large group of people to be so still, so quiet. He turned and disappeared around a corner. Chad pulled Hayley and Vanessa into his sides. The three of them sank to the ground, right there on the pavement. Hayley buried her head into the taller girl's shoulder. Chad reached his arms around both of them, stroking Hayley's hair, intertwining Vanessa's fingers with his own. Vanessa dropped her head onto his shoulder.

There wasn't a dry eye between the five of them.

Slowly, Allie walked over to them. Not too close; not pushing in. Just there, a silent show of support and comfort. Vanessa hooked a hand through her arm and pulled her into the group hug.

* * *

"Let's get out of here." I murmured to Nico and Grady. They looked relieved, and I knew why; this was very, very personal. Our presence was uncomfortable; it didn't feel right to be there in the middle of such an intimate family scene. We left quietly.

As we headed down the street, none of us commented on the fact that Allie had stayed with the Coopers.

I didn't know about Nico or Grady, but I did know how _I_ was feeling; incredibly guilty. Underneath layers of arrogance and general harsh qualities, Chad Dylan Cooper just needed to protect his family. The way he screamed down his father; the way he tried to protect his mother when his father raised his hand to her proved it. Whatever else Chad Dylan Cooper did, his family was what made him tick. I didn't want to accept it; I wanted to go on hating him, but some of what he did suddenly made sense.

He was one of life's protectors. Could I blame him? I was one as well. I'd wanted to protect Allison from him; but she didn't need protecting. She was a _part _of that family; I didn't know how, or since when, but she was one of them.

It was wrong of her to lie to us; but had we done exactly what she'd thought we'd do when we found out she was closer to Chad than we'd like? I, myself, had screamed at her, accused her, called her a traitor.

I was wrong; it was a bitter pill to swallow, but the realisation almost made me feel better, knowing there was a reason for the discord Allie was causing among us. Now, we had more of the pieces, we could figure everything out, and heal the fault line that had formed within our cast.

We could become a family again.

* * *

**Sonny**

I knew the Randoms had seen everything. I didn't know how they were reacting. For now, it didn't matter. For now, what mattered was Chad, and Hayley, and Vanessa, and Esme, and Julia.

Eventually, our four way hug broke up. I'd been surprised when Vanessa, of all people, had pulled me into it, but I really hadn't minded. They were reminding me of one thing; I was a part of them.

Chad grabbed Hayley's arms gently.

"Are you all right?" He asked worriedly. Only then did I catch sight of the ugly bruising on her face; I shuddered in sympathy, and silently handed Chad the ice pack. She was shaking violently, clearly trying not to cry. Chad bit his lip.

"This might hurt a little." He warned her, then pressed the ice pack gently to her face. She hissed and tried to move away, but he grabbed her chin to hold it in place. "You listen to me, Hayley Dylan." He said softly. "It's- it's okay to be scared. He- he _hurt_ you, and that's not okay, but I-I'm going to fix this. Okay?" She nodded shakily. He passed her over to Vanessa, then turned to me. He looped his fingers through mine and pulled me along behind him, out of ear shot of his family. I looked at him worriedly.

"What-?"

"It wasn't Joe." Chad whispered. "Hayley, I mean. It wasn't Joe."

I gasped as I realised the implications of that.

"Charles?"

He nodded, but to my eternal shock, his lips had twisted into a grin.

"Um... Chad?" It wasn't a pleasant grin. It wasn't a happy grin.

It was the kind of grin a serial killer got when a hapless victim walked into their trap.

"He promised me, Sonny." He said, his eyes sparkling feverishly. "He _promised_ me it would be me, and only me." I stared at him blankly, and he shook me a little, looking creepily excited. "Don't you _see_? This is IT!" He grinned again. "He broke one of the rules of his own sick, _twisted_ game. That's it- game over." He leaned very close to me, and I tried not to react to his proximity. "I _win_, and do you know what that means?"

I shook my head. It felt like my tongue was numb; I couldn't have said a word even if I'd had a clue what to say.

He leaned ever closer, and whispered it right into my ear.

"I'm going to tell on him." He laughed, and damn me if it didn't send shivers down my spine. "And he _can't stop me_."

* * *

**A/N BOOM. There. Can't say nothing happened there. Tawni got the good kick up the arse she definitely needed, Charles has released Hurricane Chad, and Joseph got the firm talkin' to he needed while Julia got to go Momma bear. Haha! :)**

**I hope you all LOVED this chapter. I'm not going to lie- literally, until about ten o'clock this evening (and it's currently 00.33am) I had about 400 words. The rest of it was written on a roll when my dad threatened to turn off the internet. Unfortunately, he turned it off about fifteen minutes ago (sigh. Chad, you just had to go all crazy and tell Sonny that _now_, didn't you?) so I shall post this in the morning! Yay :)**

**I love you all SO much! Please review :P Reviews are LOVE! Like the great love of Channy! :D**

**Love, **

**Hannah xo**


	70. Calm Before the Storm?

**A/N Just a quick little update to tide you all over. This is the quickest I've updated in a while, no? Thank you for all your reviews. They mean the world to me! :) *heart***

**Oh my days, GUYS. MusicChannySkyscraper wrote the BEST DIKY based one-shot. It's called 'Stop and Stare' and it's SO good! Go read it! It's amazing :) **

* * *

**Chad**

Even after Joe left, tension was high around my family. I felt jittery; I knew I had the permission, for lack of a better word, to stop Charles now. I had the power to do it. I could do it. Never again would I have to steal my sister's make-up and cover bruises.

I had a nagging feeling it wasn't going to be that simple.

"I'm thinkin' you need that ice pack more than Hayley does," Sonny said to me, examining my face. "You've got a fat lip already." Before I could stop her, she brushed her thumb across it. The touch was light but it still hurt, as well as making the skin feel warmer than it should.

"Hayles needs it. A fat lip is nothin'- Hayley's never been in any kind of fight, never mind the kind of crap Charles pulls." I argued. Sonny rolled her eyes.

"Hayley is fine. But if you insist..." She sighed. "_I_ insist you get an ice pack, though. Come on, we need to get back to the hotel. We can pick one up along the way." She smiled at me expectantly, and I sighed.

"Can't do that, Sonshine. It's... The girls aren't calmed down yet. Family comes before my job, always." I felt a stab of guilt, but it was a hundred percent true. Screw Condor. If my girls were upset, they needed me.

Sonny nodded, not even looking phased. "I'll go get you an ice pack, anyway. That's gotta hurt." Without letting me reply, she walked away- and I appreciated what she was doing, I did. She was giving me a little time.

I walked over to my sisters again, feeling guilty for walking away from them so soon after everything had gone down. It had only been a couple of metres, but there are places where a couple of metres changed the world. Hayley was still holding the ice pack to her face. Esme was still crying, while Mom cradled her protectively, her hands shaking. Only Vanessa was looking at me, curious but not asking. I shrugged at her, trying to play it off. Now that the fact that I could- I could _do_ this was sinking in, the part of my mind that was crazy and full of self preservation instincts and had been pushed down for years and years was racing and coming up with every conceivable and practical plan possible. Looking for the way- the _right_ way- to end this once and for all. I needed the perfect plan, because this needed to be shut down _completely_. If anything went wrong, Charles could come back and grow again like the parasite he was. I couldn't risk that. We'd been through enough at this point; we couldn't take much more.

"Hayley, baby? Any nightmares?" Vanessa asked, which grabbed my attention immediately. I looked Hayley's face over carefully; she did look tired. Were those bags under her eyes, or was I imagining it? She shook her head at Vanessa, her fingers contracting over the ice pack like it was a life line. I bent down a little to get to her eye level, worried now.

"Are you sure, darlin'? It's okay, ya know. I know I had nightmares after Joe hit me way back then." I had, too. That was the least sleep I've gotten in my life.

Hayley scowled at us. "Don't worry, you." She tapped my nose. "You have bigger things to worry about than li'l ol' me. Like that stupid job of yours, _pour example._ Don't get fired over _this_." She pointed at my lip, almost accusing. I felt the familiar twist of guilt in my stomach- my little sister shouldn't feel that my job was more important than her potential nightmares.

"No way! Family comes first, you know that." I glared at her for good measure. "If Condor fires me over this, I don't know why he bothered employing me in the first place. I'm a horrible employee- if he was gonna get rid of me, he'd have done it ages ago. And if he tries telling me my priorities should be any different than they are, I'll tell him where he can stick his job." I told her, with an accompanying hand gesture my mother definitely wouldn't have approved of; I was just glad she was still distracted with Esme. Hayley giggled a little, her shoulders relaxing just a tiny bit and I felt satisfied. Right then, getting her to relax was my first priority. I pulled her into a quick hug before turning to Mom and Esme.

"Hey, baby girl." I whispered, leaning down to Esme. She looked up at me, face tear streaked and I felt sick. How could Dad _do_ this? She reached a hand away from Mom and grabbed on to my sleeve. I bit my lip. "It's okay, baby girl. Don't you worry."

"He h-hurt you!" She cried. "He _hurt_you and he was gonna hurt M-Mommy."

I gave Mom a look, asking for permission. She sighed and passed Esme to me. I hugged her tight to my chest, letting her wrap her arms around my neck and start to cry harder.

"Shhh, baby girl, shhh. He can't hurt us any more. He ain't coming back, I'll make sure." Mumbling nonsense into her hair in an attempt to calm her down, I glanced up at Mom. She looked so _sad_, and it only made me angrier. Who did Joe think he was, trying to wrestle his way back into her life- into _our_ lives?

Gradually, Esme calmed down. I handed her carefully back to Mom, who's face had crumpled a little.

"_Como madre he fallado_." She whispered, and I shook my head, but it wasn't me she was looking at. She tightened her arms around Esme, pressing a kiss to her hair. "_Lo siento, nena._"

Past caring at this point, I tucked my arms around my mom, somehow managing not to squish Esme in the process.

"_Él serà lo siento,_" I promised, so quietly she wouldn't have heard me if I hadn't been so close. She didn't fight me. She didn't tell me off. She just stroked my hair, and I knew she had heard me. No, she didn't tell me _no._

She was agreeing with me.

* * *

When Sonny came back, it was to see a much calmer group of people. Most of our extended family had gauged it safe enough to gather in and offer words of solace and revenge, respectively. She gave me a sheepish smile and held out an ice pack. I rolled my eyes but pressed it on my lip any more. She'd been gone for over half an hour; the store was five, maybe ten minutes away.

"Thanks." I muttered to her. She squeezed my hand.

* * *

**Tawni**

"Okay, guys; cast meeting." Nico called. We gathered around him, and no one asked where Allie was. We were- slowly and surely- starting to accept the fact that if she wasn't with us, she was with Chad. It didn't mean we had to like it.

Keeping it brief, we filled Zora in on what had went down.

"How do we deal with this?" I asked. "I mean... On one hand, I feel so _guilty_. On the other hand..." Nico and Grady were raising their eyebrows at me. "On the other hand, this is the same guy who cleans us out and treats us like nothing. This is our rival. Clearly he's got another side to him- a _very_ different side- but does that excuse everything he and his cast have done to us?" I looked from face to face. Nico was the first to speak.

"I vote yes. Clearly, when he comes into work he does some kind of personality transplant. And it's probably just to protect his family- keep people far, far away from them. I mean, that middle girl? One of his sisters? I heard she guest starred in an episode of the _Falls_. And Chad was not too happy."

"Where'd you hear that, man?" Grady asked, looking perturbed.

"On the rumour mill. Didn't really believe it 'til now- but c'mon, why not? I don't think acting is something he wants his family involved in."

I gave him a _look_. "Why not, though? Acting is fun, and you get paid for it."

"Maybe for us, but- did you not see the personality flip? There's _somethin' _he does different when he's in the studios than when he's at home."

"He never had to treat us like dirt, though!"

"Tawn, we don't know the whole story. For all we know, he might only act like that 'cause his agent told him to. Didn't your agent tell ya how to behave around other actors?" He didn't look like he quite believed his own theory, but- it _was_ reasonable.

"Of course she did. My agent is my mom. What were you expecting, me to be left to figure it out myself?"

Nico clicked his fingers. "Exactly. My agent was the same- well, except for it being my mom."

"Why, though?" Grady asked before I could. "Why tell him to be bat crap crazy and practically become his own boyfriend? Come on, _that_ can't be getting him anywhere." Zora, who had been simply listening up until then, finally broke in. "Haven't you numbskulls been paying attention? Of _course_ it's getting him somewhere! He's a tween sensation! He's barely out of the tabloids! His agent is a genius- Chad Dylan Cooper was, and _is_, a hit."

I let out a sigh. "Must be a good agent to get him into the magazines more often than Tawni Hart- I'm _always_ something and pretty." I flipped my hair half-heartedly. Nico grinned at me.

"I dunno, Tawni... the ass-hat angle seems to be a pretty sweet thing."

I sniffed theatrically. "Nothing is sweeter than Tawni Hart. I'm sweet- and _pretty_."

"Uh, hello, you two? We're trying to figure out CDC here?" Zora snapped, and I jumped then burst into giggles. Zora gave me a weird look. I ignored it.

"So..." Grady said awkwardly, trying to steer us back to the more important subject.

"I don't think we can really decide anything 'til we know more about what's going on." Nico stated. I nodded in agreement, and so did Zora.

"Grady? You in for not deciding 'til we know more?" I asked. He hesitated for a long minute, then nodded slowly.

"Sure. It could still go either way, though. And whatever Allie is doing with him- we need to figure that out too."

I sighed- _Allie_. Between the two of us, we'd managed to create a ridiculous amount of tension in our cast, and I had a nasty feeling I'd been more than a little unfair.

But really- what _was_ she up to?

* * *

**Sonny**

When Chad and I finally, _finally_ made it back to the hotel, the sun had just started to set. The tension in the air had lessened- Chad looked more relaxed than he had in a while, and in reaction I felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Oh, sure- there was still weight there, loaded on my back, but it was lighter than before. And it felt good.

My cast had looked at me with the oddest expressions on their faces; curious, confused and- _expectant_? I didn't know what they expected from me, but I knew they weren't going to grill me about it now. They were waiting. My stomach twisted as I remembered Nico, Grady and Tawni being right behind me earlier- they hadn't seen everything, for sure, but they had seen a lot. Did Chad know they knew? Or was he oblivious? I had a feeling it was the latter- he hadn't said anything about them, and I _knew_ he would have mentioned it at some point. Would he mind them knowing? I hoped not. He already had so much on his plate- despite his lighter demeanour, there was some serious thoughts going on inside that blonde head of his. Charles, I would bet, was a recurring theme.

What was he going to do about him? The easiest thing would to just go to the police, or even Aunt Julia- but I knew Chad. He wouldn't go for the easy option. He'd try and do the thing that would manage to both save his mom's feelings and save the day at the same time.

I'd hoped I'd be able to talk him out of anything _too_ ridiculous.

* * *

Of course, things couldn't- wouldn't- stay calm and relaxed for long. Of course not. Our lives were too full of drama to let us catch a break.

The new drama was the most disruptive yet- because everyone knew. Everyone- both our casts, the public, and all our families.

Because that drama came in the form of Holly 'Jeff' Jefferson, Chad's most ridiculous and slightly insane cousin. She did the one thing we'd been fighting against.

She made our relationship public.

* * *

**A/N HA. Nice cliffhanger, no? I was going to go into more detail but... This seemed like more fun ;)**

**Guess what? I'm not going to update for a while! *ducks flying brick* Sorry, but**

**I'm going on holiday for two weeks. I'll do my best to write during that time- and plan new stuff- but I won't have my netbook or my internet available. SORRY!**

**Don't miss me too much- and please remember to review! Reviews are the life force for a FanFiction author, as I'm sure you all know :P and... REVIEWS ARE LOVE! Ha, haven't said that one in a while :)**

**Love,  
Hannah xo**

**PS Ignore FF's word count. Somehow when I added in the line breaks it decided there were about a hundred less words than there actually is- I checked it on the document, it's longer than FF is claiming it to be.**


	71. It Ends Tonight

**1) My sincerest apologies for the delay. Sonny and Chad wanted to lift the plot and make it do cartwheels, and other things that I didn't want the plot to do -_- I had to fight them to co-operate for this chapter :)**

**2) GUYS OH MY OH GUYS WE'VE HIT 1500 REVIEWS GUYS. WHAT IS THIS. WHAT. I LOVE YOU. THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH!**

**KyraLeigh13 as lucky reviewer #1500, you shall get a ONE SHOT! Yay! **

**This chapter begins after Channy making it back to the hotel, but before Holly's revelation. Thank you.**

**Two birthday dedications! Bobbie (MrB.o.B1990), even though it was like... last week... and Kayla (dreamkj) whose is in a few days! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GUYS! *heart***

**D/C: Don't own the show. Don't own the characters. Don't own the song.**

* * *

"_The walls start breathing_

_My mind's unweaving_

_Maybe it's best you leave me alone_

_A weight is lifted,_

_On this evening, _

_I give the final blow."_

**The All American Rejects- It Ends Tonight**

* * *

**Chad**

Sonny's cast, for the first time ever, let the fact that Sonny and I were both late and together without a focus on me was more than annoying, and I had a shrewd suspicion why they were staring at me. Family wars were loud, and messy, and they liked to stalk Sonny when they felt she was getting too close to me. Going by her frantic attitude when I saw her after the fight with the sperm-donor, she probably hadn't bothered with subtlety when getting to the scene.

Crap. That'd be hard to explain. What if they pitied me? I didn't like pity. At all. Sonny, in her fury, had been the opposite of piteous when I finally broke down and explained to her about Charles. The Randoms had, by the looks on their faces, been witness to the punch Joe had thrown at me. I pressed the ice pack a little closer to my mouth. It hadn't been anything worse than Charles could dish out; by this point a fat lip, while painful, was bearable to the point it was easy to ignore. When no one was _gawking_, anyway.

Ugh. Even as I made to go up the stairs to my room, I could feel their eyes on me, and urgent conversation immediately started up among them. I could only be glad I hadn't seen Charles that recently; that would have been rather difficult to hide, and even harder to explain. To be honest, the abuse wasn't always well- _bad_. It wasn't always a... beating. Most of the time it was just a shove, or a kick, or a punch. The beatings came regularly enough, to ingrain fear in me, but I almost always was prepared when they came.

Getting to sleep that night was close to impossible. My head was spinning, my mind going in constant circles, thinking and thinking and thinking. What was I going to do? How, how could I tell on Charles and get him caught? How could I get him caught without him getting wind of what was going on, and getting away with it- or worse, getting to my mom, and Sonny. I felt my sisters were no longer threatened- Hayley had taken _that_. I had a strong feeling not even Charles would try anything with Vanessa, and Esme wasn't left alone with him enough for him to get the chance.

What could I do? How could I do it?

And then, just when I was on the verge of sleep, I got it.

* * *

**Sonny**

At the rate Chad had been going at, I was sure he was going to get himself fired. Jenny was ready to kill him, and we'd been up for less than an hour. He was alternating between checking his phone and glaring in various directions.

"Mr Cooper!" She finally yelled.

"...Jenny." He acknowledged, giving her a winning smile. "What can I do for ya?" As a reward, he earned a glower and a demand for his attention, which he ignored.

The day passed agonisingly slowly, Jenny granting us a quick tour and dragging us to places of interest, like she'd done in every other city. It was different here, though- every place we saw was familiar to me, full of memories, good and bad. I felt separated from everyone else; all the talking and laughing my cast were doing. I made sure to stand as close to Chad as possible; it seemed their weird new almost-tolerance was going to last for a while. Chad didn't seem to even notice his surroundings, walking around like a zombie once he finally got bored of looking at his phone. While everything was still fairly relaxed, there was an undercurrent of tension that I couldn't ignore.

But it wasn't until we were walking past Chad's Aunt Alice's that everything really hit the fan.

* * *

"_Car-LEE!_" A voice shrieked. Chad turned, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like a prayer, and the short, giggling mass of blonde and curves had collided with him before he'd even had time to blink. He staggered but managed to keep his balance. Just.

"Hello, Holly." He muttered, trying to avoid her eyes as he pushed her out of his arms. Our cast's attentions had been quickly drawn by the large amount of noise that _was_ Holly, and they weren't being the slightest bit subtle in their staring and whispering.

"It's so good to _see_ you, little cousin!" She sang out, ignoring Chad's attitude.

Then it got worse.

She caught sight of me, and her grin grew from slightly-larger-than-average, to something akin to a Cheshire Cat expression. Both Chad and I stiffened, making hurried _shut-up-shut-up-shut-up _gestures, which she was apparently oblivious to.

"And _Sam_ too! Ooh!" She laughed. "Got both the besties right here! YAY!" She threw her arms around our necks in something _just_ looser than a choke-hold, joining the three of us in a forced group hug and Chad had to prise her arms away when it appeared she wasn't showing any desire to let go any time soon. I could feel the horrified silence of our cast-mates surrounding us like a blanket. Jenny looked over her charges, before coming to a snap decision- to throw her hands up in surrender and back away to a safer vantage point.

"What… have… you… done?" Chad gasped out, massaging his neck.

"Ha… ha… besties? What- what are you _talking_ about, random blonde obvious relative of Chad's who I've never met before?" I stuttered out, making a slightly desperate attempt at preserving the safe illusion of enemies-who-banter Chad and I had built up since I'd arrived in mid-April and laughing nervously.

That was when I decided Holly was evil. "Oh, Sonny, you are _funny_! Don't worry, I know you two are still the bestest of best friends. Just as cute as _ever_!" Holly giggled out, clapping her hands together and tilting her head with an air of faux-innocence. I turned slowly to face the stares I could feel burning a hole in my jacket.

To this day, I have never seen such an impressive mixture of horror, shock and fury. Chad's cast- with the exception of Chastity- looked nothing short of homicidal. I turned to Chad with a mournful expression on my face.

"Well, living was nice while it lasted." I sighed. He shook his head.

"Sure was." He agreed. We turned to face the staring again, which had all become startlingly predatory. Holly made to move away but we each caught one of her arms, trapping her between us.

"Don't even think about it, Jeff." He whispered. "You broke it, you suffer the consequences right along with us."

I eyed our casts speculatively. "No sudden movements, guys- if you startle them, they'll attack."

"Right. Backing away slowly it is, then." Chad muttered agreeably.

It had went well at first, too. Holly was the first to break- afterwards, me and Chad had reluctantly granted her forgiveness, on the grounds that she possibly didn't understand the danger of nine or ten shocked and infuriated Hollywood actor/actresses. She, her grin not faltering in the slightest, treated Chad and I to a mocking salute before turning and running to the shelter of her mother's house. This provoked them into action with something roughly similar to a battle cry. Chad grimaced, reached into the space Holly had vacated, grabbed my hand, and started running. I nearly fell over as my legs adjusted to the sudden change in pace. Chad's legs were much longer than mine, but a yell of "GET BACK HERE!" sent a shock of adrenaline through my system and I managed to catch up to his faster pace. We'd just have to keep running until they'd calmed down.

* * *

How we ended up in a tree, I was never sure. A mixture of panic and the advantage of actually knowing the area had allowed us to get far ahead of our casts, and the knowledge that they'd probably given up after about one street had finally led us to stopping, but I wasn't really clear on whose idea it was to climb a tree, '_just in case'_.

"So... Um, hi." I said, breaching the stunned silence. We were sitting on a thick branch, high enough off the ground that I couldn't look down without feeling slightly nauseous, and thick enough that both of us could actually sit without the fear of the wood immediately giving out.

"Hey. Um, do you want to let go of my arm a little bit? You're... Just, you're cutting off the circulation a little bit." Chad gave me a smile, and I loosened the death-grip I'd formed on his arm when I'd first looked down below us, flushing.

"This is pretty crazy, huh?" I laughed weakly, unable to comprehend the outing of a secret we'd been keeping so carefully for four months.

"More than crazy." Chad grumbled. "I'm going to _kill_ Holly! We don't have enough on our plates, oh no, not the scary douche-y step-dads or the scary psychotic demon ex-friend with a knife, nope, she has to go and hand us over to people liable to commit _Channy-cide _but hey now they know that if they touch you I'll throw them under a bus."

Even as I tried not to laugh, I recognised his rant as a tell of all the stress he was under. He'd reached the point where his reactions were bordering on hysteria. I touched his hand, wanting to calm him down, and the reaction hadn't been quite what I'd expected.

Instantly, the air had thickened, and the feel of the air had shifted ever so slightly. I'd swallowed, and found myself quite unable to move. We sat there, surrounded by silence and unwilling to move.

Chad's eyes flickered down to where my hand touched his, up to my eyes and back down again. "Uh... um... uh..."

I giggled nervously.

"Um... that... _that_ is something we should talk about..."

"Yeah... um..."

Who knows what could have happened? Before much of anything could happen, before any real conversation could be had, both our phones had gone off, effectively breaking the spell.

_From: Nico Harris_

_Jenny says you have to come back to the hotel now. Me and Grady have Tawni guarded, don't worry. She shouldn't try to kill you. Much. We're expecting an explanation, tho._

"What do you reckon, Sonshine?" Chad said, looking at me from over his phone, where he was reading something along the same lines. "Will they kill us, or won't they?" He seemed to have quashed his annoyance with Holly for the moment, and his eyes were lit up with amusement.

"I don't think so. Nico says they have Tawni restrained, so we should be safe from my cast. What about yours?"

"Who knows? Chastity won't, but that's one person over four." He shrugged.

"Eh. We can take 'em. '_Together, we're unstoppable'_, and all that jazz."

"Hmm. Good point, actually. Shall we?"

"We shall."

* * *

Mercifully, Jenny seemed to have finally managed to regain some control. When we arrived back, we were treated to a fair few death glares, but no one tried to kill us, which was a plus. Dinner that evening was awkward- no one seemed quite sure what to say, and Chad and I ended up sitting side by side with empty seats on either side of us.

To be honest, it didn't hurt like I'd expected. It wasn't even all that scary. We hadn't been fired, and our friends hadn't disowned us. Now that everything I'd been so afraid of- well, hadn't happened- it seemed just calm. Empty. The sword that'd been hanging over our heads, ready to fall, had turned out to be blunt and not at all as deadly as we'd expected. It was strangely disappointing; all the worrying and freezing and lying we'd been doing felt like it had been pointless and childish, and it _had_, in a way. We'd been so totally focused on protecting ourselves that we hadn't given the possibility that our cast-mates knowing would have been a lot less work. All there was to do now was to wait for the reaction to blow over, and more likely than not, everything would be pretty much back to normal.

"That might take a while, though." Chad said when I told him what I was thinking, raising his eyebrows and waving his fork at Marta and Devon. "_They_ don't look like they plan on letting it go any time soon."

"The Nightmare Pair? I don't particularly care, to be quite honest. It's not like they liked either of us in the first place."

"True, true. How about Blondie over there? She's flipped out at you before." Chad asked, glancing over to Tawni. Nico seemed to have her wrist pinned down to the table, just in case she charged, like a sparkly pink rhino.

I squared my shoulders. "I can take her. Tawni wouldn't do anything that could potentially wreck her manicure... And her heart's in the right place." I said, studying her. Chad snorted. "It's true! Plus, she feels betrayed. She hates being lied to. And I have lied, haven't I?"

Chad rolled his eyes. "If she touches you, you could always set Vanessa on her. She wouldn't have a problem with giving her the kick up the backside she needs."

"Ha! I'm sure she wouldn't. But it'll be fine, Chadwin. You'll see."

* * *

When the Randoms finally cornered us for _the conversation _after dinner, it was far from pleasant. Not as bad as I'd feared; but still pretty near the top of the list of things I did not want to experience again. Ever.

"Chad. Allison." Nico had said, folding his arms. "We- as a cast- need to talk to you."

It hadn't looked good; while they weren't exactly _angry_ at this point, they were far from happy. Even Nico, who had been the nicest about Chad so far, had looked cool and distant.

_Oh, joy_, I had thought, looking at the expectant faces in front of me. "May as well get this over with," I'd said out loud. Chad hadn't said anything, choosing instead to glare back at my cast. We hadn't even made it out of our seats, and they were standing over us. Divided into our little teams- Team Channy, Team Random- we stared each other down.

"How long?" Tawni had finally blurted. This seemed to break whatever hold they had on themselves; question after question streamed out, attacking and accusing, without giving us any time to answer.

"Why would you lie?"

"Why do you even like him?"

"How?"

"_Why_?"

"If you shut up for two seconds, maybe we'll answer, _Randoms_." Chad had finally snapped. The words came slowly at first, then faster and faster as we began piecing together our story- from when we'd first met, to when we'd met again in Hollywood. Naturally, we didn't tell them everything; they didn't need to know about all our hidey-holes, attempts at running away, or about the drama that had occurred when we were apart. We told them of the apparent need for secrecy. But we made it very clear;

"Like it or not, _Randoms_, we're best friends, and we're staying that way." Chad had stated firmly, and it was with wonder that I saw even Tawni surrender her cold, annoyed exterior.

"I guess this isn't worth the fight, then." She'd finally said.

"No, it's not." I whispered. This would be the defining moment. This would tell whether Tawni would hate me or accept this.

"Oh, fine then. It's not worth dividing the cast over, is it, Sonny?" She said, forcing a smile. I smiled as well, rather more genuinely, as she threw back my words from our argument the other day. The use of Chad's nickname for me coming from her seemed to hit home her acceptance. Hesitantly, I stood up and opened my arms out. She sighed good-naturedly before hugging me- then eyed Chad over my shoulder. "Hurt her, and we kill you." She said sweetly. Chad stood up as well, and tugged me away from her.

"Duly noted, Random. Likewise, if any of _you_ hurt her, my sisters are happy to arrange your tragic deaths." He said sarcastically. I covered my face with my hands.

"Guys, I can take care of myself, ya know." I whined. Chad grinned and put his arm around my shoulders.

"I know. But where's the fun in that?" He winked at my cast before pushing past them, dragging me along with them.

* * *

**Chad**

The _conversation_ with my own cast somehow managed to be even less fun than the one with the _So Random_ cast, despite the fact that no words were spoken. They were giving me the deep freeze treatment- not talking to me, not acknowledging me, not even looking at me. Despite the fact that they were- in general- not very pleasant people, being ignored so completely wasn't enjoyable. I was more grateful for Chastity than ever- since she already _knew_ about Sonny, and seemed to feel inclined to be even more nice and hyper than usual. It was a good distraction until night started to fall.

"I'm not _tired_!" Sonny insisted, glaring at Tawni.

"But we have a curfew-"

"Tawni, I'm sitting three feet outside of our room. Jenny's not going to care."

"_Sonny_-"

"Hart, if she was sitting out here alone, would you be bothered?" I interrupted. Since our rooms where only a few doors apart, Sonny and I were sitting in the hall together, in our pyjamas- much to Tawni's annoyance. Tawni glared at me, then turned on her heel and stomped back to her room. I waved at her sarcastically.

"I thought she'd gone all accepting and all that?" I asked Sonny. She shrugged.

"I think she just needs a little time to get used to... us." She twirled a strand of hair around her finger and smiled at me from under her fringe.

"Maybe she does. But she can't be mean to you, 'cause then I'll have to set Vanessa on her."

Sonny smiled at me. "Whatever, dork face. Do you know what you're gonna do yet?"

I didn't need to ask her what- who- she was referring to. "I do."

"And...?"

"Don't you worry about it, Sonshine." I grinned at her.

"Chad..." She was suspicious now.

"Seriously. It's fine. I know what I'm doing, okay? Don't fuss." I poked her nose, trying to draw a smile out of her. "_When darkness turns to light, it ends tonight..._"

She was unamused by my singing and poking. "Just... Be safe, okay?"

"Always am, Sonny."

One of the doors down the hall crashed open, and Zora poked her head out. "Stop you're yapping, people are tryin' to sleep here- what are you doing on the _floor_?"

* * *

As the sun went down and the sky got darker, so did my mood. It was time to put my plan into action.

Sneaking out was easy, as always.I had to force myself to walk at a decent speed- I knew exactly what I was getting myself into, and self-preservation was screaming at me to _stop_.

But I didn't. I wouldn't. Charles Cooper had to be stopped- and this was the solution. I didn't _like_ it, not at all, but I'd been thinking about it all night and all day, and I couldn't see any other option.

_For Esme. For Mom. For Hayley. For Vanessa. For Sonny. _I kept walking, faster now, until I reached where I needed to be. I took a deep breath before knocking. It didn't take long for the door to open.

I took another deep breath. "Hello, Charles."

* * *

**Sonny**

The next morning at breakfast, Chad wasn't there. That was odd- he was usually up before me.

"Nico? Grady? Have either of you seen Chad?" I asked. I knew at least one of them shared a room with him. They shared a glance.

"Um... No, actually, Al-Sonny." Nico said, looking uneasy.

"Really? I thought he was in one of your rooms?"

"He is." He shifted. My confusion must have showed on my face. "Sonny... He wasn't there when I woke up this morning. I thought he was down here. Um... I haven't- I haven't seen him since last night."

It felt like someone had poured water over my head, and a wave of panic washed over me, nearly forcing me to my knees. "What? Nico, tell me you're kidding. Please, _tell me you're kidding_!" I stared at him pleadingly, half-waiting for him to grin and yell '_Got ya!'_

But he didn't. I took a deep breath, willing my legs not to fold underneath me. "Who else is in your room?" When he didn't answer immediately, I took a step closer to him. "Who _else_, Nico?!" Looking shocked, Nico pointed me to Devon.

_Devon_. Just wonderful. I stormed over to where he was standing with Marta hanging off him like a cheap scarf.

"Hey, Devon!" Marta and Devon looked up at me. Their faces changed to the exact same expression of loathing in perfect sync.

"What do you _want_?" He asked.

"Have you seen Chad?" I asked, trying to ignore the way Marta was looking at me.

"No."

"Awww, has the little Random lost her little friend?" Marta drawled. I rolled my eyes.

"Shut up, Marta. Thanks for your help, Devon. No, really. You should get a prize for that astounding information." I walked away quickly, my hands shaking as I felt the seriousness of the situation settling in on me.

Fact: Chad was missing.

Fact: He hadn't been seen since last night.

Fact: He'd told me he was dealing with Charles.

Fact: Charles was abusive.

I pulled my phone out, willing my hands not to shake as I dialled his number. It rang once- twice- three times- "Come on, pick up, _pick up, pick up_...!" I muttered.

"_Hey, it's Chad. Sorry, you missed me- leave a message!"_

I dialled again and pressed the phone to my ear, then walked over to Nico. "When, _exactly,_ did you last see him?"

"Uh... when he came into the room last night? Seriously, Al-Sonny, I don't know what time it was. I was half-asleep." He took in my frantic expression, and put a calming hand on my shoulder. "Look, he's probably at the bathroom or something. Just calm down."

"_Hey, it's Chad. Sorry, you missed me- leave a message!"_

I ground my teeth together. "Calm down? Calm d- Nico, don't you _get _it? He's MISSING, for flip sake! He's not at the bathroom, he's not _here_, he's not answering his cell, and_ no one's seen him since_ _last night_! I will not _calm down_ UNTIL WE FIND HIM!"

By this point, we'd attracted the attention of the rest of both casts. Tawni was the first to come over. "What's going on?"

I turned to her, re-dialling Chad almost absent-mindedly. "Chad's gone walk-about and no-one knows where he is and Nico's acting like this _isn't_ something to panic about."

"_Hey, it's Chad. Sorry, you missed me- leave a message!"_

Tawni actually looked worried. "I'm guessing you got voice-mail?"

I nodded, then turned my attention back to my phone. I needed to try something else. "What's the number...? Come on, come on... Got it!" I smiled slightly, typing in the number of Chad's Aunt Alice.

"_Hello? Sonny?"_

"Hi, is that Esme? Okay. Sweetie, can you put your step-daddy on the phone for me?"

"_He's not here. Why do you wanna talk to him? Chaddy says he's a meanie."_

I chuckled darkly. "Chaddy would be right about that. You wouldn't know where your brother is, would you?"

"_No..."_

"Okay, sweets. I have to go, okay?" I hung up and took a deep breath, feeling a fresh wave of panic.

"Allie- Sonny- what is it?"

I closed my eyes. "I know what's happening." Deep breath. "Oh, this isn't good..."

"Sonny...?"

"I..." My phone went off, singing Jimmy Eat World's _The Middle_ and I could have cried with relief as I answered it. "Chad! Oh, my gosh, where _are_ you? Do you even know how worried I was?"

"_S-Sonny..._"

My stomach dropped. "Chad? Chad, are you okay?"

"_'M fine. I was walkin' back... Just stopped t' catch m' breath."_

"You don't sound fine." I bit my lip. "Just... Do you know where you are? I'm gonna come find you."

"_Think 'm near the park. Y'know... y'know that street with the crazy cactus man? There. 'Round there somewhere."_

"Yeah, I know where you're talkin' about. Okay, I'll be there in a bit, okay? _Mantenerse fuerte, bebé. Te amo._" I hung up, then glanced at Tawni, who was staring at me with an odd look on her face.

"Are you really going?"

"Yes, Tawni, I am, okay? He just- he doesn't sound good. I need- I _need_ to make sure he's okay."

I braced myself for the argument she was going to make. "Okay. I'll tell Jenny."

To say I was surprised would have been a huge understatement, but I threw it off quickly and gave her a hug. "Thanks. See you later, okay?"

* * *

**Chad**

It could have been minutes, it could have been an hour. I couldn't tell how long it had been- all I knew was I was grateful when Sonny's familiar footsteps reached me. I didn't stand up.

"Hey." She whispered. I looked up at her, and she breathed in sharply. She sank down to sit beside me on the pavement, close enough that our shoulders were pressed together.

I rested my forehead on my knees again. "Hi."

She sighed. "Does it hurt?"

I didn't even consider lying. "Yes."

I felt her shift closer to me. "You look like hell." I shrugged, too tired to properly try to comfort her or even to argue. She gave a choked half-sob. "Was this your plan? Your grand plan to catch Charles?"

I managed to force a half-smile at her. "Had to get some ev'dence, didn't I?"

Sonny looked like she might cry. She hugged me carefully, trying not to hurt me. "I hate him. I hate him so much..."

I hugged her back, letting my chin rest on top of her head, feeling her shoulders shake as she started to cry. "Me too, me too."

"You're so- bruised-" She pointed out, sounding absolutely miserable. "How did I never- never notice what he was doing?"

"It's not usually this bad." I admitted. Her arms tightened around me, and I flinched. She pulled back immediately.

"Sorry, sorry!" There were tears tracks of mascara running down her face, and I felt sick. "What do you mean... It's not usually this bad?"

I took a deep breath, ignoring all the hurt as best as I could. "I made him angry. I did my best to annoy him- he's worse when he's mad. When he's not just drunk, or bored." The words sounded hollow coming out of my mouth, like something out of a badly written novel. It could, quite possibly, be to do with the fact I'd never talked about this before, to anyone. I'd told Sonny what Charles did- of course- but I'd never gone into detail.

It felt like a heavy weight was being lifted away. One of many heavy weights loaded on my shoulders. It felt _good_. Weird, but good.

"He- just- I needed the _evidence_, see? 'Cause when I- when I tell on him, it's got to be real. I can't just be some famous, spoiled brat making up stories. This way no one can deny it happened. It did. It was real. There's no way to say, '_he's just making it up_.', because I'm not, because they, they'll be able to see the bruises, the bump on my head, the fact that I couldn't have done this myself to get him in trouble.

"And I had to, had to provoke him, make him mad, because then he isn't careful. He doesn't hit me where it's easy for me to hide it. It's obvious. And I need that, I can't be accused of lying. I need this to happen, happen quickly, because if it doesn't, then he can get to me, get to my sisters, get to my mom... get to _you_." I grabbed her hands, praying she got it.

She gave me this really sad look, but she nodded. "I understand. I do." She sighed. "Do you know something? You're brave. You're so brave, it's actually kind of ridiculous. How did you convince the public you sucked?"

I half-smiled. "I'm an actor." She shook her head, wiping her eyes. I pushed myself to my feet, wincing. My muscles were stiff, and _everything_ was hurting. "Let's go, Sonny." Suddenly, a hot wave of excitement flooded through me. "Let's go, come on!"

She stood up, wrapping a careful arm around my waist to help me walk. "Are you okay?"

I smiled. "No. But we're gonna end this, Sonny. We're gonna end it, we're gonna end it now."

After four years of abuse, I was ready to tell the world, and to end this- once and for all.

* * *

**That's everything with Charles set up for the next chapter ;) What do you think, guys? Did you love Holly 'Jeff' Jefferson? :D And Channy had a 'moment' ;) Ohhh, look out for more Channy next chapter! Mahahaha!**

**On a more serious note, though; some reviewers have brought to my attention the fact that some parts of this story kind of don't relate to the plot. In the interest of making the whole story go over a lot smoother, some parts are going to be deleted/rewritten. For example; the 'Mistakes Are Made' - 'Forgiveness Granted' arc, is just Channy fighting AGAIN and I think we can survive without it. Also- there will be no singing competition. *shuffles feet* It sounded awesome at the time, but now it really doesn't fit into the plot anywhere. Sorry! I'd really appreciate all you guys helping me out in this. If I change something, I need you guys to make sure I change each and _every_ time it's mentioned, so as to retain continuity. Also, I'm changing the layout of all the chapters to match this one. If you can think of song quotes/general quotes to match each chapter, that would be amazing. Thanks! :)**


	72. The Finish Line

**Guys, I am SO sorry for the delay! I know you all probably hate me right now *shakes head* It's been like, five weeks. I'm the worst, I know! Fourth year means starting GCSE work, and I've been so swamped with work, it's ridiculous. Plus, this chapter was super hard to write. Bleh :( I've made a start on editing this story, so as you can see some of the oldest chapters are in this newer style! I'm not even close to done, though. I'd really appreciate help with picking song quotes for the chapters ;) Thank you to everyone who's helped out so far! I looove you -heart-**

* * *

"_I'm done with this,_

_I'm counting to ten._

_Bluer seas,_

_Running to them..."_

**Snow Patrol- The Finish Line (*)**

* * *

**Tawni**

Of all the things I'd expected to see if and when Chad and Sonny came back to the hotel, what I got wasn't among them. It took me a full minute to process what (or rather, who), exactly, I was seeing, and even then I didn't know how to react.

"C'mon, buddy." Allie- Sonny- muttered, tightening her arm around her- her best friend's waist. I couldn't quite take in what he looked like- the image of _Pooper_, arrogant and annoying, beside this... this bruised boy with his arms wrapped around himself who didn't seem to be able to walk without help didn't match up at all. She looked up at us, not offering any explanation. "Does anyone happen to have a... a penlight? Y'know, the little thin ones you can get on key-rings."

It was an odd question, but everyone was in too much shock to question it, too aware that there was something really _serious_ going on to do anything more than check pockets or shake heads apologetically. Zora made a victorious noise when, after checking every pocket in her clothes, she produced a penlight.

"Son'y, 'm fine." Chad said, appearing not to notice that his lip had swelled enough that he couldn't talk properly. All-Sonny laughed, the sound more than a little hysterical.

"Fine?" She shook her head, then stepped away from him to grab the penlight from Zora. Apparently she _wasn't _being paranoid, as when she let go of him, Chad lasted two seconds before swaying dangerously and coming close to face planting before Sonny made a distressed noise and grabbed him again. "You can't even stand up on your own!" She flashed a small, strained smile as Zora silently handed her a penlight. She clicked it on, and grabbed Chad's chin to hold his face in place. I watched in bemusement. "Can you follow the light with your eyes for me?"

Chad followed her instructions apathetically. She asked him questions, which he answered in a monotone. When she finally clicked the light off and tossed it back to Zora, he gave her a brave attempt at a smirk. "Tol' ya I was fine."

Sonny grimaced at him. "You're not concussed, so what? Have you _looked_ in a mirror lately?" She folded her arms. "If it was _me_, you wouldn't be being so casual." I wanted to look away- the two of them had clearly forgotten they had an audience, and despite everything, I felt like I was eavesdropping.

"Tha's dif'rent. And it don't ma'er, anyway. Can we get goin'?" He'd dropped his attempt to force his face into anything other than a grimace (good thing, too, 'cause it was just plain lame) and I took a deep breath when I saw Sonny's face soften.

"'Course. The sooner this is over, the better." She shook her head again, and they made to leave.

"Wait!" I couldn't help myself- I'd never been so confused in all my life. It was dizzying and, I had to admit, I was concerned about Chad. They turned to me, looking impatient. "Where are you going?"

Sonny gave me a look I couldn't understand. "We're going to the police, of course."

I shook my head, feeling lost. "Sh-shouldn't you go to the hospital?" I looked over Chad again for a second. His hands were shaking. Allie- sighed?

"Oh, believe me, I tried that." She snorted.

"I don't need a hospital." Chad muttered, and I could tell right off that they'd argued this back and forth already. "It looks worse 'n it is."

Allie shot me a desperate look. "If you say so."

"He can't even _walk_!"

"'M fine." Chad looked aggravated. "We need 'a _go_, come on, come on!"

"Fine, fine..." She sighed again, turning to wave at us as they left. I knew I couldn't stop them. All I could do was wonder.

* * *

**Chad**

Walking... was not fun. These things usually went on inside my own home, so minimal walking was required. Sonny helped, more than a little. She was warm and she was, quite literally, holding me upright. I knew she'd probably give me hell for this later; but she was holding back now, and I was more grateful than I could say.

I didn't need to say it, though. Sonny knew. Of course she knew.

The closer we got to the police station, the tighter my stomach felt. I felt nervous to the point of nausea, losing confidence in my plan with every step I took. Years, it had gone on for _years_- surely, the end couldn't be this easy? I felt like a character in a book; like I was at the part of the story where you're breathing easy, 'cause hey, it looks like everything's gonna turn out alright, but you know there's way too many pages left for the little bit that's left, and too few for it to be the start of a whole new plotline.

Sonny glanced at me, biting the inside of her cheek. She didn't offer promises of it all working out- because she could read on my face what I was thinking- she didn't smile and say '_it's going to be fine_,'. She just tightened her arm around me for a second, promising that she was there, and she was staying.

Finally, we slowed, staring at the door of the station. I swallowed.

"You ready for this?" She said, her voice suspiciously think.

"Yes. No. I dunno?" I glanced at her, then squeezed my eyes shut. "'M ready for it to be over, ei'er way."

She gave me a forced smile. "Atta boy."

* * *

Of course, my life isn't a novel. In novels, the police are generally, like, kick ass and get the bad guy in a couple of pages. In a novel, you don't have to give a statement through a swollen lip that makes it difficult to talk. In a novel you have frantic readers behind you and you're the hero.

In novels, the hero doesn't know/hasn't grown up with ninety percent of the police force so in novels people aren't caught between freaking out over how much you've grown, the state of your very bruised... everything, and sort of growling. _Growling_.

"What the _hell_ happened to you?"

"I got a li'l bit beat up." I muttered, resisting the urge to push my hands into my pockets.

From there things went smoother as the people I knew got a grip on themselves and I got my statement taken. I watched as cops talked quietly but frantically to each other, throwing around words like '_warrant'_ and '_arrest_' and '_trial_' and '_that poor kid_' until I felt Sonny pull on my arm and push me into a seat and I couldn't hear any more. She didn't say a word, just smiled, took my hand and squeezed it a little too tightly to keep up with her expression of certainty.

At one point, one officer approached us, saying something about hospitals. I glared at him.

"I'm refusing treatment." I ground out. I was _fine_, why couldn't anybody see? Sonny shook her head in exasperation.

At another point, there was a sticky-static sound from one of the cop's radios went off, and he yelled something and everything was a blur of motion as three more cops ran outside, talking fast and looking panic-y and like they knew what they were doing at the same time.

It was a small police station, though, so by this time all but one or two cops left in the station. Sonny and I were left alone.

* * *

**Vanessa**

Everyone was at breakfast when it happened. It was sort of a tradition for, when we were all together, everyone to squish up ridiculously and crowd around the table and the elbows in each others toast and cereal was totally part of the fun.

Until the sound of a siren shattered the air. Sirens that we could have- _could_ have- maybe ignored after thirty seconds of shocked glances (because, let's be honest, we live(d) in a pretty low crime area) if the sirens hadn't cut themselves off with a screech of brakes, directly outside the house.

The house. Our house. (Sort of.)

And then there's hands hammering on the door with a yell of "Police! Open up!". Another stunned silence occurs while we all shared wide-eyed looks and tried to figure out who should answer the door. Aunt Alice rose hesitantly to the challenge and walked out into the hall while the rest of us crowded around the door and peering to see what was going on.

Aunt Alice took a deep breath before opening the door, visibly preparing herself. "What's going on?"

"We're looking for Charles Cooper, ma'am."

"Charles? What? Why?" She shook herself then glanced over her shoulder. "Julia, what's your husband done?"

Mom was right at the back of our kitchen crowd, and she stopped to pick up Esme before trying to battle through to the front. She walked out to her sister slowly, cradling Esme like a security blanket.

"I'm Julia Cooper. Can I help you with something?" She asked, her voice remarkably steady. I could see her hands shaking.

"There's been a warrant issued for your husband's arrest, ma'am. Can you tell us where he is?"

The tension in the room had gone up by like, three hundred percent. I froze, because unlike anyone else in the room (except maybe Hayley) I had a strong feeling I knew what was going on, seeing as I knew a little more of what, exactly, Charles had been doing than everyone else. Knew a little more of some of the things he had _done._

I wasn't sure whether to feel giddy or afraid; had Chad gone to the police? Was he safe? I'd heard Esme on the phone to Sonny earlier- _something_ was going on. Maybe, just maybe, it was something good.

Maybe.

But I couldn't help feeling sick as I watched my mom go pale.

"A-_Arrest_? W-What?! What for?!" She asked, tightening her arms around Esme. The officer at the door gave her a look that _reeked_ of pity, and in response Mom's spine straightened and she leaned forward, her expression cold. "Don't patronise me. Just tell me what my husband is being _accused _of." Despite the sinking feeling in my stomach that told me the realisation of _who_ exactly she'd married might actually send my mother into a nervous breakdown, another part of me felt a little proud as she stood up for herself.

The officer sighed. "Ma'am, a witness has filed a statement accusing your husband of repeated beatings and blackmail. Do you know where we can find him?"

_Atta boy, Chad._

"He's not in- out with friends- that- that is _ridiculous_!" Mom spat. The officer nodded to his partner, who disappeared, presumably to continue the search for my step-father.

"Ma'am-"

"Charles is a wonderful man-"

"Ma'am-"

"- he'd never _beat_ someone, or blackmail them-"

"Ma'am, _your son is the witness._" This stopped my mother mid-rant and she stared at him in shock.

"No." She protested, but there was little fight in her voice. "No- it can't-" She shook her head, and set Esme on the ground. "Go to your sister, sweetie." She murmured, then looked around. She grabbed the phone, and glanced up at the officer. "I'm gonna phone him." She said firmly. "I'm going to phone my son, and he's going to laugh and tell me how ridiculous all this is. I mean, my _son_? Accuse my husband of- of- of _hurting him_? No, you're wrong. Chad will tell you."

She dialled the number looking so honestly _sure_ of herself that it hurt to watch, because I knew it wasn't ridiculous and it was plausible and it was _true._ In the short term, keeping this stuff from Mom had been so- simple, the easy thing to do. She was so _happy_ in her warm bubble filled with light and love and rainbows and a happy, completely not-dysfunctional family that it felt wrong to break it but I knew now that doing it this way was going to hurt her more than it ever would have all those other times.

But it would have hurt no matter what, wouldn't it?

She nodded to herself as she pressed the phone to her ear. "Hey, honey! I'm sorry to pull you from whatever you and Sonny are doing at the moment, but there's been a bit of a misunderstanding." She paused. "Well, a _huge_ misunderstanding, actually! Someone's accused your step-daddy of doing some pretty awful stuff, and they, they, uh, think it was you. You can clear that right up, can't you?"

There was a long silence, and Aunt Alice slowly reached up to put her hand on Mom's shoulder.

Because we can see it now- in the set of her shoulders, in the gasp she makes, in the way she dropped the phone and didn't go to pick it up. The officer at the door shot us an apologetic look before getting back into the marked car and leaving us.

It was true. Charles was beating Chad and blackmailing him into silence. Her second husband had been lying to her for a long time.

Maybe even since before they'd gotten married.

Mom dropped to the ground. "Oh." She whispered. "Oh, my." Aunt Alice knelt down beside her, her face an almost comical mixture of fury and compassion. I picked Esme up and Hayley and I pushed forwards to Mom's side. She looked up at us with wide panicked eyes and she gasped because she _knew._

"Girls... You knew, didn't you?" I felt tears prick my eyes as I nodded. On Mom's other side, Hayley cradled a hand over the bruise on her face, which was answer enough. Mom's eyes fell on that hand and she gave a shocked sob and wrapped her arms around us, pulling us in tight. "I'm sorry- I'm sorry- I'm so, so _sorry_-"

"No, Mom, no- you don't- you didn't-" Hayley choked out.

"I should've told you, I knew for so _long_, and I-"

It went on like that, muffled, sobbed apologies and tangled hugs and shaking hands, for what felt like a decade. Mom wasn't crying, but her face was milk white and she was shaking all over. The rest of the family had retreated to the kitchen to give us this moment. I could hear them whispering, about how horrible this was and how shocking, and shameful, and, and... just... how _angry_ they were at this stupid, awful man who'd manipulated and abused and blackmailed us into something so dark and twisted. I didn't want to hear it. It made me feel ill with the guilt of keeping the secret.

She stood up, dragging us with her. All four of us clung together, holding each other up.

"I- We have to go. Go to your brother." Mom said. Her voice was steadier than her hands, which were most definitely shaking.

I nodded, trying too hard to stop crying, and together we walked out. To this day, I don't really remember walking down to the station; all I remember is my mother, her jaw tight as she walked, and Hayley holding my hand so hard that it felt like the bones would crack, and the sudden feeling of _purpose_, of feeling, somehow, that now the guilt had been shared and everything confessed, that things were going to _change._

* * *

**Chad**

Sonny held my hand in both of hers as I went through what had to be the _most_ painful phone call of my life. I wasn't surprised when I heard Mom drop the phone. The line didn't disconnect when it hit the floor though, and I could still hear what was going on.

"Sorry." I'd whispered, even knowing the phone was probably the last thing on her mind now. I'd handled everything _so _badly; I could hear crying and I kept my phone pressed so hard against my ear it would've hurt, had I been in the state to notice. Sonny eventually reached up with firm hands to tug it away and end the call. "I hurt her." I said out loud, feeling guilt hit me. "I did it wrong and now she's hurting and it's my fault." I closed my eyes. "_Crap_."

Sonny hit my arm with her free hand. "_Don't_, Chad! Don't drown yourself in the could-haves and should-haves. It's not healthy. It's _not_ your fault, okay?" The hand still wrapped around mine tightened. "It's your stupid step-_douche_'s fault, alright? His and his _stupid_ need to- to- to hit you." She finished in a whisper and I shook my head.

"I should've just..."

"Just what, hm? It's _you_, Chad. You didn't want to hurt her then so instead you let your mind be twisted around and around until you _couldn't_ tell her, and _I'm_ telling _you_ that's not your fault. Listen to me!"

"She's right, y'know." Vanessa said, and I shot out of my seat onto my feet before I had time to remember my surplus of bruising. Sonny jumped up after me and grabbed me before I could fall. The inability to walk thing was so, so _stupid_ but my ankle had been twisted 'round some way at some point and now it was swollen enough I couldn't put weight on it.

I turned to face them fully. Mom made a noise that might have been a sob, but might also have been a retch. My family practically flew at me to get closer, all too-gentle hands on bruises and shocked, hurt noises. Mom wrapped her arms around me in a hug that probably wouldn't have shattered glass. It felt too careful. I didn't like it.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She was whispering, and it made my chest hurt that _she_ was the one feeling guilty, because out of she, Charles and I, she definitely was the last one on the list of people's whose fault this mess was. Love was blind, after all, and I'd never made much of an effort to clue her in. Quite the opposite, actually.

"No, it's my fault it's me I'm sorry I'm so sorry I didn't mean to!" I babbled, pressing my face into her shoulder in a way that definitely would have been embarrassingly child-like in any other situation. Here, however... Mom stroked my hair with shaking fingers, making gentle shushing noises. Vanessa and Hayley crowded in, adding arms and soft hands to the equation, all of us pressing in together in some mutant group hug. I may or may not have been crying. Eventually, we all managed to sit down in the uncomfortable chairs provided, hands intertwined and a new, fragile peace restored. There was still a lot of talking to be done, but the police station wasn't the place for it. It could wait.

* * *

After another few hours, the police officer I'd originally talked to returned with his partner. We looked up, worried and expectant, but they were leading no one in handcuffs into the building. The man came to sit down opposite us and forced a smile at us that did more to worry than to reassure.

"Soon, we'll catch him soon." He paused for a second, a worried frown passing over his face. "We just need to expand our search radius."

"You mean you can't _find_ him?!" Hayley asked, looking furious.

"We haven't found him _yet, _Miss Cooper. We haven't stopped looking yet."

I didn't feel too reassured.

* * *

The way they found him in the end- it was actually kind of ridiculous. Had this not been the man who'd been periodically punching me and then blackmailing me, it would have been hilarious.

Charles got dragged in- by MackenZie Falls fans.

Someone, apparently, had told the locals they needed help finding a suspect, and lo and behold, some slightly rabid (but loyal!) fangirls had made a connection and made it their personal mission to track him down.

Later, I'd find it kind of awesome and wonder how I'd pulled such an awesome fanbase. At the time, though, the sight of Charles being led to a cell, safely handcuffed between two police officers brought reality down to smack me in the face and make me realise that _this was real_ and _it was really going to end_.

"Julia! Chad!" He'd called, strapping on a wide-eyed faux-innocent expression when he caught sight of us watching. "Tell them it's a mistake, tell them! I'm innocent, Julia, you believe me, don't you?" Then his eyes moved to me and he said, "Chad, you have to tell them I'm innocent. You _know_ you have to." And his eyes had hardened just slightly, giving me the look he'd always given any time I seemed too close to telling on him. I shook my head.

"You can't win any more, Charles." I'd said, then waved a hand around my face in general. "I told you. It's... It's over now."

I flopped my head onto Sonny's shoulder and she squeezed my hand once more.

Mom stood up, smoothing down her skirt. The look of satisfaction on Charles' face was sickening, but it wasn't there for long.

"You manipulated me." She'd said, her voice ice cold and her hands shaking- but with rage, not hurt. "You lied and treated me like a trophy, and behind my back you _hurt my kids_." She stepped right up to him, and he stared back, something almost like fear flashing across his face for just a second. She clenched her hands into fists. "I'm the _last _ person who's going to help you."

"Julia... I was good to you! I gave you a home!" He protested.

Mom snorted. "Go to hell!" She spat, and he tried to dive at her but the police held her back. She didn't flinch.

Charles was led away, protesting and squirming.

An officer glanced over at where we'd been camped out on the chairs. "There's no need to stay, you know." He said, flashing a small smile at us. "It's over. Go out, celebrate. You're free."

Mom had grinned, then, an honest-to-God Mom-smile, the like of which she hadn't given in years. _Years_.

"Do you know what? I think we will."

And all together, we walked out of there, hands all intertwined.

_It was over._

* * *

**Awww. As I said, this was so _so_ hard to write, so I'd really love to hear what you all thought! Did the police/legal stuff seem right to you? How about people's reactions? :)**

**Heehee. Due to one of the big stressers pretty much being removed this chapter, that means the next chapter should be filled with fluffy best-friends-Channy, who are pretty much ready to move on to the 'something more' thing they've been dancing 'round... ;) But not without some awesome best friends shenanigans ensuing! :D**

**I swear the next update won't take so long. If it does, you all have my full permission to find me and kill me :P**

**Love,**

**Hannah xo**

**PS 1,534 reviews? WHAT did I do to deserve the awesomeness of you guys? :D**

**PPS I stayed up to ridiculous hours finishing this for you. PLEASE LOVE IT FOR ME.**


	73. The Beginning of Something New

**Um... hi. So. It's been two months. (and two days)**

**So many excuses for the wait. None of them good enough. Um, can I use my massive amounts of GCSE homework as a shield? *cringes* Seriously, the stuff is UNENDING. If I wasn't so kind of in love with most of my subjects- (The History of Medicine is SO GOOD I CANNOT.)- it would be kind of killing me. As it is... it's just overwhelming and time-consuming. PLEASE ENJOY THIS CHAPTER.**

* * *

"_I never thought that I was so blind,_

_I can finally see the truth_

_It's me, for you_

_..._

_Can you hear me say_

_'Don't throw me away,'?_

_'Cause there's no way out_

_I gotta hold you somehow."_

The All-American Rejects- I Wanna

* * *

**Chad**

When I woke up the next morning, I didn't feel it at first. Still weighed down with sleep, I just felt... warm. Comfortable.

And then I rolled over.

_Ah. There it was._

A flare of discomfort shot through me; bruises and stiff muscles brought back the day before without too much difficulty. Now I was more awake, I tried to figure out where hurt it hurt the most; now that I was aware of the aches it was easy to try. The sharp slither _pound_ of an incoming headache made it harder to concentrate. My ankle didn't hurt as badly as it had the day before; not even sprained then, just swollen. Nothing was broken; _everything_ was sore, but it could've been worse.

And it was... _over_.

Something that had been weighing down on me, for so long I had barely even noticed it any more, lifted away and I was laughing before I could help myself. Dry, crackly laughter that hurt my throat, yes, but I was _laughing_, because I won, I won, didn't I?

I'd won.

So maybe there was still a battle ahead, with my mom and her heartbreak and my chest felt tight for a brief second at the thought. It didn't last long, though, because I _knew_ my mom and my mother was stronger than anything and everything. She'd take it and she'd grow with it because that's who she was and now she was free to grow without Charles to stop her.

My sisters didn't have to be scared, not any more. Hayley could stop trying to be an actress if she wanted, could have her friends sleepover if she liked, could wear what clothes she wanted because she didn't have Charles to disapprove any more. Vanessa could follow her dream and go to college and date that one guy who'd been Charles' cousin's enemy's nephew, because Charles wasn't there to breathe down her neck any more. Esme could laugh and play and have our mom and the family she deserved, because Charles wasn't there to isolate us and hold us down and dictate our lives any more.

And when my laughing died down, I pulled the duvet tighter around me again, because a little bit of sense in the back of my mind was yelling, _it's early, too early to be awake_ and I could hear the heavy breathing of my current room-mates.

I smiled a little, and drifted off into dreams again, because for now, there were no nightmares to weigh me down.

* * *

_You're sitting at a table in the centre in the room. The music is loud enough to feel it under your feet but it's not overwhelming. There's no one at the table with you but you're not alone. You know that your family are somewhere in the room around you, because in this dimly-lit, loud room, you can feel where they are; soft, glowing aura-like presences that are somewhere near, even if they're not in eyesight. They are dancing. There are others there, too, and they're dancing as well. If you concentrate on a single person, you find you know who they are, too. It's warm, comforting, familiar. Something in this room has shifted but it's a good thing. Someone who was never supposed to be there has left, and they aren't coming back. Their presence will never black out the room again. This means you're calm; but you're not at peace, because someone, something is missing and it's making you just a little uneasy._

_And before you can think too hard about what that something-or someone- is, a new aura is hurtling towards you and this one is bigger, brighter, more powerful than the rest but it isn't something that can hurt you. You feel it, her, collide with you and she grabs your hand and pulls you to your feet. You open your eyes to look at her, and you smile._

"_Sorry I'm late," Sonny says and she's smiling and something in you _settles _instantaneously. _

"_You're here now," You reply and her smile grows wider._

"_True. Now, come on, silly; no more sulking at the table. Come dance with me."_

_You laugh and shake your head even as she pulls you along to the dance floor. You let your arms wrap around her as you sink into the centre of all of the dancers, and together the two of you spin. Together, you are nearly almost one. Around you the other dancers trade smiles and you feel their auras wrap around you._

_She is your missing piece, but it's okay. You're together now._

_Your world is at peace._

* * *

The second time I woke up, it was because someone hit me with a pillow. Someone _very _familiar.

"Sonny, stop it!" I snapped, except my body hadn't quite caught up to my mind, and I was lying with my face pressed into my own pillow, anyway, so what actually came out was more along the lines of, "S'ny, st'p 't."

"Chad, wake _up_, you are not a Disney princess, you don't have the right to sleep for a thousand years."

I rolled onto my eyes, and tried to fully open my eyes without much success. I got another pillow flailing at me to reward my efforts, then I felt the mattress dip as she sat down.

"I resent that." I muttered.

"What, you _want_ to be a Disney princess?" The springs in the mattress creaked a little as she shifted her weight.

"No, I want the right to sleep for a thousand years. Please and thank you."

"Too _bad_." She muttered, but didn't move to try and hit me again.

"On the bright side, though," I considered. "It would appear I can talk without a lisp again."

"Thank God for small victories." She muttered, trying for teasing. It just came out sad. I fought harder and got my eyes open. She was staring at me, looking like she'd like to throw up.

"Hey, Sonny, hey." _Eyes, stay open_. "I'm okay, see?"

She shook her head slowly. "This crap never should've happened to you."

"Maybe. Dad should never had an affair. Mom should never have married Charles. Esme should have a dad. These things, they happen. And... when they do, there's nothing we can do but hold on tight and try our best to make it through. They say, Sonny, you know what they say. 'If you're going through hell...'" I trailed off, waiting. She closed her eyes.

"'...keep going,'" She finished, voice barely audible. She closed her eyes tighter for a second before opening them. "You're ridiculous," she whispered, then hugged me hard. _I'm not letting go_, the hug told me.

"Ribs, Sonny! Ribs, ribs, ow, I love you, seriously, but _ow_ _ribs._" She pulled back, grimacing and mouthing _sorry_. I poked her on the nose. "Get outta here. I'm gonna work on standing up and it's not going to be a fun experience. See you in a bit, okay?"

She gave me a searching look, then sighed and stood up. "Fine, fine. Don't break anything, okay?"

"I can't make any promises." I joked. She gave me a dirty look.

"Chad, I'm still torn between smacking you for pure _stupidity _and sobbing hysterically whenever I look at your face. Don't mess with me." She wiggled threatening fingers at me. "I _have a lot of feelings_."

I laughed a little. She kissed me on the cheek then walked towards the door. She paused and threw something at me before running out. I rubbed my eyes, then grabbed it.

Painkillers.

I laughed and laughed and laughed.

* * *

Standing up took a lot of deep breathing and hope to prepare me before I stood up.

It still hurt. The sudden rush of blood to my feet felt odd and cold and gave me pins and needles. I grabbed at the wall before I fell over, shifting my weight and hoping the prickly, uncomfortable feeling wouldn't last.

I swallowed two painkillers dry on my way to the bathroom. I took a deep breath before facing my reflection.

For the very first time, the bruises stood out on my face and... I didn't have to do anything. I didn't have to cover them. For the first time, they were mine and just mine. They didn't hold the weight of protecting my sister, protecting my mom. They weren't evil.

But did I want to cover them over?

A small part of me said _no_. Up until now, the bruises had been a dirty secret. A price. Weakness. Up until now, all of me had _wanted _them covered because then no one would think I wasn't strong enough to stand up for myself.

But, now, now a small part of me wanted them to be seen. Wanted to wear them as a badge, to show just how far I'd go to protect them. A sign that I wasn't weak enough to give in and run away; that I was strong enough to keep my family safe.

"Is that wrong?" I said out loud. I tilted my face up, seeing bruises cutting around my jaw from-

_-"Idiot! How could you let that little girl find out?" The smell of alcohol is so strong, it's on your face and it's, it's disgusting, you want to gag but his hands are on your face now, pressing into your jaw so you can't open your mouth, now-_

I pressed my fingers against them gently, feeling the red-hot hurt but those hands would never bruise me again. I was stronger than him. I'd never be led down that path that Charles and Joe had set out; I'd never be one to drink and hit and hurt and abuse. I'd won the game, and I was never going back.

I looked at my reflection again, and smiled.

* * *

"Oh, you're down! Thank God, I was starting to think you'd just gone back to sleep." Sonny grinned at me, skipping over and linking our arms.

"Who, me? Sonny, how could you? You know I'm a total morning person."

Sonny raised an eyebrow at me, managing to say more with the little movement than with any snarky comment. It was a gift she'd spent years perfecting. "Chad, sweetie, do you know what time it is?" She asked, sounding like she was trying not to laugh.

"..."

"It's two, hon. In the afternoon."

"...It's what?"

"_Afternoon_, Chadwin."

"...Well, that's, that's, well."

"Eloquent. The others are in having lunch, I think, but I hung around to see if you'd come down."

"I know, I know I am. You're a star, really. Can I still have breakfast? I want pancakes."

"Yeah, you can have pancakes. Of course you can have pancakes." And she's smiling now, soft and genuine, the layer of sarcasm gone. And that, it makes my heart beat faster and I'm reminded that we were, we _are_ on the brink of something, an _us _something, before I'd taken the dive off a spring board into the send Charles to jail master plan.

And this, it felt easy, it felt right. Even if her hands were shaking and I felt like the world was still spinning too fast, we were together and it was... it was just _good_. Right and natural and... easy.

Well, that was... that was new. Except the part where it _wasn't, _'cause that's how Sonny and I worked, through little sarcastic fights and more real, scary shake-the-walls fights and little jokes and laughing and being _together_, and that wasn't how just-friends friends really worked, was it? We'd been fooling ourselves for a pretty long time, but that was okay.

We had all the time in the world.

I looked at Sonny and I grinned, and she grinned back, and suddenly everything was falling into place, because she knew it, too. She knew that something for us was coming, and it was gonna be good, gonna be incredible. It wasn't solid yet and it was still plainly _terrifying, _but it was us. I knew for sure, now, that everything was going to be okay, no matter what.

* * *

"This isn't awkward at _all_." I muttered, ten minutes later. I glared down at my pancakes and tried to ignore the way the whole table was staring at us. Sonny's cast-mates looked sort of confused and uncomfortable and a little apologetic, and I seriously did not want to deal with them. They hadn't managed to actually say anything to either Sonny or I since we'd sat down, but the silence was heavy with the idea of words. I felt very highly aware that the last time they'd seen me, I'd been bruised and half asleep and leaning on my sister to get in the door. Mom had taken us out for dinner, because Charles was gone and we were _celebrating_, but the fact that I hadn't slept, like, at all, was a thing that was going to catch up to me eventually. I fell asleep on Sonny's shoulder near the end of the meal.

It definitely was _not_ as funny as Vanessa had made it out to be.

I had no idea what time we'd arrived back; all the details felt a little fuzzy. I'd slept a nice long time.

"I'm gonna get coffee," Sonny said finally. "Play nice, children." She kissed me on the cheek, then stepped away from the table with her head held high, ignoring the stares burning into her back. _That's my girl_, I thought distractedly, feeling a surge of pride. No one beats Sonny Munroe with a stare. The Randoms were staring openly at me now.

"Are you... all right?" Tawni finally ground out, looking like she wanted to swallow the words back, like playing nice wasn't what she wanted to do.

It probably wasn't. She and I were never going to have an easy start to being anything other that _'mortal enemies', _as they would call it, or just plain old rivals, as I would call it.

I raised my eyebrows. "I'm _swell_. What's on your minds, Randoms? You are _all _giving me kicked puppy looks, and it's kind of freaking me out. Get your questions out of the way now while I have pancakes to distract me. It'll be easier on everybody."

Nico shrugged. Zora twitched. Grady and Tawni looked like they wanted the ground to open and swallow them away. That made sense; they'd always hated me most. "We just wanted to... apologise," Nico said slowly, like he was weighing each word before he let it escape. I liked him best out of Sonny's cast-mates. He was more upfront than the rest.

"That's... um, great. Thanks?" This whole thing was just weird. I knew the whole group had kind of been all over the place since the things about me and Sonny had come out- had it really only been a few days ago? It felt like it'd been months- but seriously, this was just painful.

"We mean it." Tawni said, staring fixedly down at her nails and deliberately avoiding eye contact. "We... didn't know about your dad. Or your step-dad. Some things kind of... make sense now."

Ah. _That_ was what this was about? Pity?

I could feel my gaze harden. "Not that it was any of your business, Randoms, but no one did."

"No, that's not what she means!" Nico rubbed his face, then took a deep breath and determinedly met my eyes. "We just... We weren't fair, with some of the things we've said to you. About you. Especially when it comes to Allie- I mean, when it comes to S-Sonny." He tripped over the nickname, but with that I could suddenly appreciate that they were _trying_. Trying to be good about this.

"Well, um, thanks, I guess. I'm... sorry I wasn't nice either?" I could try, too.

Nico nodded, accepting it, and with that, some of the tension went out of the air. I felt a little more relaxed. They'd gotten out what they'd wanted to say, and a little part of me felt kind of touched that they'd said it at all.

I looked at them carefully. "I've known Sonny Munroe since I was eight," I said, "and she's never got so close to a whole group of people so fast before. Be careful with her. She's my girl, and she's sixteen kinds of awesome. I'm not gonna make her choose between me and '_So Random!', _so stop being weird about her and I, okay?"

Tawni seemed to perk up at that, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Really, is that what they'd thought? That they'd lose her to me? I'd had her all this time, and they hadn't even really noticed.

"We could all just... be friends. Not like, braid your hair, secrets sharing crap, but friends, yeah? No more of this enemies crap. It's tiring and it's kind of a waste of time. We may be actors but we don't have to live like we're in a TV show, okay?"

And they all just nodded, staring at me with mouths open like me being reasonable was the most shocking thing they'd seen all day.

"Is everyone still alive? No casualties?" Sonny slid back into her seat with an easy smile, sipping her coffee and flipping her hair.

I laughed at her, because the Randoms were still just staring. "We're fine. We're all good now, right, guys?"

"Sure," Tawni said. Grady nodded, looking grudging. I was going to have a different conversation with him at some point- about Sonny and that she wasn't for him, no matter how much he wanted her. And I could see that he wanted her, could understand why he wanted her. She was pretty brilliant, after all. I wasn't gloating; but then, there'd never really been a competition, had there? The realisation made me wonder, again, how we'd made it through so many years of saying _'No, really, we're just friends. Best friends.'_

Sonny flashed a smile at me, the kind that meant _I'm proud of _you. She slid a second cup over to me. "Here, I thought you could do with the caffiene."

I grinned at her. "You're an _angel_. Thank you."

"How come you didn't get me any coffee?" Tawni asked her, faking a pout and breaking the tension once and for all as we all burst into laughter, _together, _for the first time ever.

And really, it was actually kind of nice.

* * *

A couple of hours later, I was being suffocated in the tightest group hug I'd ever endured. My family, as it appeared, were every kind of horrified when they'd found out about all the things that had happened with Charles.

Apparently, this meant me getting shoved down onto the sofa and being hugged within an inch of my life. Who knew? It was kind of nice, actually. Once they'd stopped staring at me like they were afraid I'd crumple to the ground, they'd defaulted to complaining about Charles. Viciously.

It was hilarious.

"I knew he was bad from the start!" Great-Aunt May raged, waving her walking stick around like a sword and glaring at the window in front of her as if Charles was there, hiding just out of sight. "Julia fell far too quickly, he was too... too..."

"Perfect?" Aunt Alice offered, mouth set in a grim line. Mom was staring down at the ground like she wanted to disappear. I looked back at May as she started ranting again, but then something sunk in, and I looked back at my mom again.

At her hands.

At her ring finger. Which was... ring free.

Oh. Well. She had said something about that last night, hadn't she? I'd spent half of the 'celebratory dinner' thing either half asleep, or just high on 'it's over I can breathe," feelings.

What was it she'd said? _"It's time to get rid of the dead weight in our lives. Move on." _Something like that. Sonny had started carding her fingers through my hair when my head had dropped onto her shoulder.

Mom looked better than she had the day before. Less shocked, more determined. My mom was good at this stuff; the getting it together, staying strong, moving on. It was one of the many things that made her awesome. And kind of bad ass.

There was still a ridge on her finger, from where the ring _had _been, that she kept poking at experimentally, but the ring was very very gone.

I was proud.

Vanessa and Hayley were in the corner with Charlotte and Adam, occasionally contributing to the ranting but mostly staying quiet, thoughtful. Vanessa looked more relaxed than she had in years. Hayley's eyes were a little puffy, and she was still keeping a self-conscious hand over the bruise on her cheek, but her shoulders weren't hunched over. She wasn't trying to hide any more.

It had only been a day, but things were getting better already. I was glad.

* * *

I went to dinner with my cast-mates. It was... weird.

Devon and Marta were indifferent, of course. Chastity had hugged me. Portlyn... I'd always had an odd relationship with Portlyn. We'd never been _friendly_, per se, but I didn't hate her and she didn't hate me. She'd patted my arm once, not looking at me, and that'd been that. Dinner passed in silence. Sonny and I traded significant looks over the tables.

And after dinner, we'd gone out for a walk, just her and I, 'til we'd got to the park where we'd first met. It was empty at this time of the night, of course, kids at home, asleep, or just at dinner. Didn't matter to me. We sat down beside the monkey bars, hand in hand and enjoying the quiet. It hadn't been _quiet_ all day. There had been whispers and stares from those who didn't know us at all, awkward silences that had just felt loud from our cast-mates and too-loud angry noise from my family.

Now, though, it was peaceful.

"The other day..." Sonny started. "You said we should talk. Just before our casts caught up to us, you said we should talk about it."

And my heart rate took off, because were we really going to talk about it now?

She squeezed my hand, grounding me. Her hands were shaking, because she felt just as nervous as I did.

"We kissed." She said, and the two words were significant but they weren't heavy like I'd expected them to be.

It didn't stop my mouth from being dry. "Yeah. When we were... sad..."

"...when we were drunk..."

"...when we were laughing."

"And then we just... didn't say a word. Because... why? Because there was nothing to say?" She sounded frustrated, because she knew that wasn't it.

And now my hands were shaking, too, and I couldn't meet her eyes. "Because... it felt... right?"

She stiffened for a few seconds that felt like decades, and for a moment I was afraid- so, _so_ afraid- that I'd got it wrong- but then her other hand was slipping into mine and our fingers were intertwining.

"Yeah... Yeah, I guess so." She said and her voice was hoarse and when I finally looked at her again, she was smiling. A tiny little smile, but a smile.

And suddenly, everything fell into place again, the jigsaw pieces fitting together and something in me settled. I smiled back at her.

And then... and then.

And then I kissed her.

Just a small, barely there kiss before pulling away, and then I started to laugh.

Sonny was laughing, too, pulling her hands free from mine and pushing her hair away from her blushing face.

"Is this real?" I asked, reaching one hand out towards her but hesitating to actually _touch_. We'd been dancing around this for years; since we were ten and being accused of having crushes on one another, since we were twelve and kissing for the very first time, full of hysteria and shock and hurt over Sonny's dad dying, and in the last few months with the paparazzi and our families making jokes. It didn't seem like it could be real; because now we knew it had been a long time coming, and it didn't seem realistic that it would work out so easily. Not when everything else was so hard.

Sonny leaned forward and wound her arms around my neck, lips curving up in a smile.

"This is real," She said, shaking her head and giggling. I hugged her back, resting my hands on her waist. We sat quietly for a little, just taking in the feeling of..._this_. The thing where we were letting our firmly platonic friendship become something more, skipping over the line of 'friends' to something like- like _'couple_' with no sense of finesse at all.

"Oh, we're going to get _so_ much mocking for this." Sonny said eventually, shifting so that her head was on my shoulder. I played with the end of her hair absently.

"Let's keep it quiet for a while," I muttered. "the longer they don't know, the better. We need to get revenge on Holly first, at the very least."

She laughed into my shoulder. "Yeah. This one is _ours._ We'll tell when we wanna tell, and not a second before."

I nodded. "Mmhm. Because... _ugh_, we're celebrities. _So much mocking_."

"At least we'll have our epic l-l-love story to distract them from it." Sonny whispered, and maybe my heart beat a little faster, because love? Yeah, love. Was that what this was?

"But we'll have _us_ to get us through."

"Yeah, we will."

Sonny shifted around so that one of her arms was around my waist and her other arm was trapped between us. She tilted her face up at me, blushing again. "So... so how does this... change things, do you think?"

We thought about it for a while, and then burst out laughing again. "We've been a couple for nine years, why change anything?" I managed. And it was kind of true; all of our relationship had always been tangled fingers and whispered secrets and being utterly inseparable and basically all that was changing was... labels; labels moving from best friend to _boyfriend_ and _girlfriend_, and I couldn't help laughing at how ridiculous we had been up until now.

She was close enough that I could feel her breath on my face, and I leaned in enough to press our foreheads together.

"You're my girlfriend, and doesn't that sound kind of ridiculous when you put it in context of _us_?"

She shook her head, grinning. "You're my boyfriend, and I think it sounds awesome."

"We're gonna be together for the rest of our lives."

"Didn't we already know that?"

"Ha. Yes. Now I have to kind of look back and wonder how we thought we'd manage that and to have a separate romance. With _other people_."

"Oh, I know! I mean, look at how you acted when I went on a date with James Conroy. One date, and you were going out of your mind." She batted her eyelashes at me. "Were you _jealous_?"

"_No_."

"Liar."

"I'm not lying."

"You're delusional."

"But you _love_ me." And for a second, it felt like there was no air at all, and my chest went tight; then I remembered that this was _Sonny_, and there was nothing I could do that would ruin this.

I grinned. "Yeah. I do. You're the best _girlfriend_ ever."

She kissed me on the cheek. "I love you too, you know."

And that... _that_ felt incredible, and it hit me like no words ever had, and now I felt sure of myself. I could see this as the forever it was going to be. No matter what happened, there'd be Sonny and I. We were invincible. "I know." Our eyes met, and we smiled like the idiots we were.

"We should go back to the hotel..." Sonny said a few minutes later.

"Yeah, yeah, we should." I agreed.

But we didn't make it back there for another half an hour.

* * *

**A/N Now, come on. Was it worth the wait? :D**

**I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter! It was originally meant to be a lot later, after a lot more best friendly shenanigans, and a lot more dramatic. Possibly with tears and angst. This felt _better, _though. AND CHANNY WILL BE TOGETHER 5EVUR NOW. -heart-**

**Now, can I explain Chad's dream? (that is, the section in italics in the second person point of view.) It mentions 'auras' and 'presences', which hopefully clued you all in to the fact that it _was_ a dream. In real life, obviously, Chad can't sense auras and the proximity of his loved ones. The room, is Chad's little world. The dancers are his loved ones. Sonny being late was in reference to a) that they hadn't been in an official relationship yet, and [more obviously] b) the years they spent apart. Sonny and Chad are only whole when they're together, because aww. GCSE poetry has made me a lot more aware of symbolism, it seems.**

**Reviews are love, so... hit that review button! You know you want to :) **

**The next chapter should be- (and I say this tentatively)- up a LOT sooner than this one was. Another chapter before Christmas, maybe? :) Seeing as Christmas is so soon, teachers will- hopefully- be easing up with the homework a little.**

**I love you all!**

**Hannah xo**

**P.S. This will be re-uploaded in a few days, with better grammar, because I have a beta now! Polka Dot Jewel, aka Chelsea, will from now on being beta'ing for me. Make sure you thank her, heehee. :)**


	74. This Is A Call

***peeks out from behind shield*...If there's even anyone still reading this story, I want you all to know I'm really, really sorry. And that it's been a stressful couple of months. But mostly that I'm REALLY sorry. And that I love you guys.**

**I tried to fit some couple-y fluff in. I hope I succeeded. **

**TRIGGER WARNING: graphic description of a panic attack near the end of the chapter.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

_'Cause everytime I fall down, I reach out to you,_  
_and I'm losing all control now, and my hazard signs are all out,_  
_I'm asking you, to show me what this life is all about._

**_This Is A Call- Thousand Foot Krutch_**

* * *

**Chad**

"You need a haircut," Sonny said the next day, leaning against the sink with her arms folded. I stared at her. She raised her eyebrows at me. She'd followed me into the bathroom. I finished brushing my teeth and wiped toothpaste away from the corner of my mouth.

"What's wrong with my hair?"

"Everything is wrong with your hair, Chad." She leaned towards me to flick at my fringe. "_Everything_."

"I'm hurt." I put a hand over my fringe protectively.

"You look like _Justin Bieber._"

"...Get the scissors."

"..."

"Sonny, I was _joking_!"

"I'm not!" She waved the scissors at me a little too enthusiastically, grin stretching across her face. "_Please_ let me cut your hair."

"No!"

"_Please_?" She pouted. "It'll be like a date!"

"Our first date won't involve me _letting you near my face with a sharp object._"

"Please," She scoffed. "I'm hardly going to injure you!"

"I remember the project you did on Hayley's Barbie doll. She _cried_."

"I've improved a lot since then!"

"It gave her _nightmares_."

"... You're mean."

"_No_, I'm using today's supply of common sense." She pouted at me. I narrowed my eyes. "Stop it with the eyes, you. I refuse to feel guilty for protecting us both from you going all-" I flailed my hand at her, "-_scissor happy_."

"But-"

"No means no!"

"Ugh, you're no _fun__._ I'll remember this last time you wanna try and cook something. My kitchen has never quite smelled the same after the hot-dog pizza incident." She flipped her hair.

"That was _your _idea!" I spluttered.

"It would have gone fine if you hadn't distracted me with your _face_."

"...Should I be insulted or flattered?

"Oh, hush." She said flippantly. But she was blushing.

I smirked at her, and leaned forward. Just a little. "You love me." And was it weird that there were no nerves when I said that? No awkwardness, just certainty.

Sonny was never one to be outdone. She leaned in further, close enough that our noses were brushing. "_You_ love _me_."

We were close enough that our breaths met and mingled. But not close enough, I felt, so I pushed forward again, and she did too, until we met in the middle. Unlike every other kiss we shared, it wasn't just a there-and-gone-again brush of the lips, but a longer kiss, sweet and drawn out, until air became an issue.

Sonny took a deep breath in and then she laughed. "How do people breath and kiss, though?" She wondered out loud. "I mean, seriously, how? If you're kissing someone, there's hardly room left in your head to do anything else, let alone fix your breathing pattern. I never got the hang of it with Josh, and he was all 'Sonny, breath through your _nose_,' but I always felt kind of uncomfortable when he kissed me anyway."

I snorted. "Yeah, 'cause your ex is exactly what I wanted on my mind right now. Thanks, Sonny. Really."

She tilted her head back and flashed a toothy grin at me. "Sorry, baby. I won't mention the J-word if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Oh, shut up. I've dated plenty, I'm _not_ jealous." I protested.

"Yeah, right. Sorry, didn't I hear the words _'because my agent said so_' come out of your mouth?"

"...You don't know them all, maybe I dated some people I actually liked."

"...Did you?" She sounded curious now, but I knew she knew.

"No." I smiled at her.

"Good." She said. "If you had, I'd be expected to fuss about them, and remember their names, and glare at them if I ever saw them, and honestly- it just seems like too big an effort."

I huffed out a laugh. "Good," I returned.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"So are we- mmh!" I kissed her again, to shut her up, this time. She kissed me back gently, and that's when I made my move.

"Hey!" She exclaimed as I danced back, grinning. "Did you seriously just-?"

I smirked at her, twirling the scissors she'd been holding between my fingers victoriously. "I did."

She glared at me. "I can't believe you don't trust me with a pair of scissors. When do I ever do anything irresponsible?"

"...Please tell me that was rhetorical."

She rolled her eyes, then moved to perch on the closed toilet seat and peer at the mirror. "Speaking of hair, I'm thinking of dying mine." She twirled a hair around her finger, eyeing her reflection speculatively. "Red, maybe? Or, ooh, black."

I tilted my head, considering. "You know, I always thought you'd go blonde."

"Meh." She flipped her hair back over her shoulder and smiled at me. "You just want to induct me into your super-cool exclusive family club, don't you? Don't even think about it, buddy, I'd look like your little sister."

"_Stop making my thought processes creepy."_

"Never! It's my job as a dutiful best friend to make your life as uncomfortable as possible."

"What's your job as my _girlfriend_?"

"To make your life uncomfortable_ and_ embarrassing, of course!" I grimaced, and she winked.

"Ugh, why do I put up with you, again?"

* * *

"I was being serious about dying my hair, though." She said, later. "My hair is so _boring_, it's just this really plain shade of brown."

"Are you fishing for compliments? I compliment you all the time, you couldn't possibly be fishing for compliments."

"I... might be fishing."

"No, Sonny, your hair is so pretty! Don't change it, aah, you're perfect the way you are." I rattled off. She sighed, exasperated. "What, did you want a dramatic Mack Falls look-left to finish it off?"

"Your sincerity is touching, jerk."

"Your attempts to be insulting are _adorable._"

"See, that was a compliment!" She smirked. "Chad, Chad, you never win at these things, sweetie."

"Drat." I joked. She rolled her eyes again.

"Are you two going to flirt all day, or are we actually going to go somewhere?" Tawni snapped. Sonny and I jumped, startled by (what felt like) the sudden appearance of everyone else.

"We weren't _flirting_." Sonny protested, but it was half-hearted at best. Her red face didn't help things much. I stared at the wall just beside Tawni's face, unable to meet her eyes.

"Sure, sure, whatever. Now, come _on_, you've lived here, you _must_ know somewhere where I can go shopping!"

Sonny laughed. "Yeah, maybe. Are we splitting into casts or forcibly mingling?"

"It's up to us, I think. Wouldn't you just rather spend some free time with us, though?" She gave Sonny a pleading look. "You two have been practically glued together since we got to Texas, and I miss girl-time."

"Sure," Sonny smiled at her friend, then turned to me. "See you later? Don't wither and die without my presence."

I snorted. "I will try my very best, but it shall surely be a struggle."

"Ah, sarcasm. My old friend!"

I poked her on the nose. "_Go."_

* * *

**Sonny**

"You and Chad make me very uncomfortable," Tawni whined. "Is it not awkward around family?"

"Nah. It would be, but they're kind of used to us, I guess? We basically grew up in each other's back pockets."

She pulled a face. "Still!"

"Chad is basically a very whipped, very adorable shadow. I'd feel off-centre without him."

"...How do you claim to be just friends? I kinda understand Chad's weird hyper cousin now."

"..."

"Why are you laughing?!"

I tried to stem off the giggles, without much effect. "Private joke." I managed to snort out. I snuck a text off to Chad when she got distracted by the sight of the shops.

_To: Chad_

_The mission to keep us a secret is a-go! Tawni doesn't get why I'm laughing._

* * *

A few days passed, light and happy for once. Eventually, though, it was time to pack up and leave town.

"It's been pretty weird being home, hasn't it?" I said, as the bus pulled onto the highway. We'd said our goodbyes, and promises had been made for visiting again- soon. The idea of going back to Hollywood after all that had happened felt pretty surreal- like all that we'd been doing had been part of some kind of crazy dream. Maybe we'd be back to normalcy when we got back there.

Maybe.

"I know. And it doesn't feel right that everything with Charles and all ended so neatly. It's kind of anti-climatic, actually."

I skated my fingers over the bruises on his face. "Not _that_ part. I'm just glad it's over."

Chad grinned. "Yeah, me too."

* * *

"You want us to do an _intervi__ew_?!" I squeaked. The casts had been called into the studio within a day of getting home as part of some kind of weird 'follow up' to our 'bonding experiences'.

Now that we were out of the safe bubble of road tripping (and avoiding too many responsibilities) we had to face up to the fact that we were celebrities, and all the things we'd done when we were out of the state hadn't been as unnoticed as we'd thought. We were in the public eye, and we all had questions from our fans to face up to, particularly Chad and I. Apparently, the true status of our relationship was newsworthy, and the idea of the whole Charles Cooper saga was _national news_ worthy.

Chad looked like he was going to throw himself across the desk and hit Mr. Condor in the face.

"Absolutely not!" He snarled.

"Why not?" Our boss asked, unnaturally calm. "It'll be some good PR, especially after the Las Vegas mess." He gave us the stink-eye at the reminder, and I felt my eyes drop as something like panic welled up in my stomach.

"I've never done an interview! I've been in Hollywood for _four months_! I have no idea what to do. _None._" I waved my arms for emphasis.

"Your... friend can help you. All you have to do is giggle and answer questions. It won't be that hard." Mr. Condor gave the _creepiest smile_ before turning to my boyfriend. "Mr Cooper on the other hand, has to cover all that he's been hiding from Hollywood since day one. He may even have to pull out tears. You've got to really sell this- this _heartbreaking_ _hero_ the magazines are trying to portray you as. The crowds will eat you up!"

It was possible Chad actually looked worse than I felt. At any other time, the cross between fury and panic on his face may have been funny. Right then, it felt like the tip of the iceberg of _horrifyingly awful_. "I will not cry on _national television_!"

"Mackenzie cries all the time, why can't you? Just channel your character."

"Mack doesn't cry, Mack falls to his knees and performs soliloquies. I think you're getting confused with that one guy from Hosier Girl."

Mr. Condor glared at us. "Tears or not, the two of you have an interview on '_Gotcha!'_ at some point in the near future. Mr. Cooper, train your... friend how to do a perfect interview. Ms. Munroe, stop your cast from organising and leading an uprising in protest. Once was enough." He looked down, shuffling paper on his desk. A few silent seconds passed awkwardly before he looked up again. "Well? Leave!" He ordered. Chad and I exchanged a helpless look before getting up.

"This is going to go _spectacularly_ badly." Chad said as soon as we were clear of his office. "Honesty? On live television? I'm going to end up throwing something at the interviewer."

I sighed. "Not if you're too busy cleaning me off the floor from where I've melted into a puddle of nerves. Remind me why I became an actress again? I haven't felt this nauseated at the thought of talking to someone since I was in sixth grade."

"_Live television_. Crap. Well, uh- I'll be there? I'll try and keep you calm. At least our interviews are together. We might be able to stop each other from dying. To _death_."

I took a deep breath and tried to push the nausea down. "Our co-dependency is an unbreakable bond that can conquer all obstacles. Possibly."

"Where'd you get that, the back of a cereal box? At best, we're gonna be sarcastic in sync. At worst, we're going to team up to beat our way out of the studio so they don't air the interview."

"... We're doomed."

* * *

"You're getting to appear on '_Gotcha!'_?! Like, the real thing? For a full interview? _Just_ the two of you?!" Tawni squawked.

I groaned, flopping myself down on the couch in the Prop House. "It's going to be _awful_."

"Awful?! You're getting a full interview on a popular TV show! Most celebrities would kill to be on '_Gotcha!'_, Sonny!"

"Maybe they would, but _I'm_ barely used to '_So Random!'. _How am I gonna manage an interview? I'll have a panic attack!"

Tawni sat down beside me, her blue eyes gleaming. "I will train you so hard, I swear. You'll be fine. You will _not_ mess up this interview, I can't let it happen. The rest of the cast will get blacklisted just on principle." She took a deep breath, and her face softened slightly. "Plus, you might actually enjoy it! You never know, Sonny, you could be panicking over nothing."

I perked up a little. "You think so?"

"Yeah, I do." She shifted a little, clearly uncomfortable, but she didn't get up and walk out like she seemed to want to.

I smiled. "Thanks, Tawn. You're a true friend." I knew Tawni didn't always find it easy to show her nicer side, and I appreciated her effort.

She smirked jokingly. "I know! A true friend... and pretty." She flipped her hair dramatically.

I laughed a little. "You're ridiculous."

* * *

The thing was, it was easier to keep our relationship on the 'down low' than Chad and I were expecting. We'd been expecting our families to figure it out in a few days, at the most- but it had been a fortnight, now, and no one had said anything. It still seemed to be... just between us, and to be honest, I wasn't sure I liked it.

Sure, I loved being with him- because, well, I _loved him_- but keeping it to ourselves? It felt wrong. I thought we were done with secrecy.

"I know." Chad had said when I'd brought it up with him. "I keep expecting someone to, y'know, _say_ something, and nothing ever happens. And everything's been so strange lately, with all the moving around. It feels like we're lying now, since Mom's been spending so much more time with us."

Since coming back to Hollywood, Julia had decided that she wanted to cut all ties with her second husband completely, and had promptly set about packing all of their things into boxes and preparing to move out of the house. Chad didn't seem to know how to react, but I thought it might have been a good thing- if a little fast. They didn't have anywhere to move into yet, but Julia was getting packed so they could do it as neatly as possible. All the boxes just seemed to confuse my boyfriend, though, and when he wasn't spending time with his family, he was over at my place. They were spending more time together, just relaxing. It was actually really nice- it felt more like how the last four years should have been.

"I want them to know, but- how? I don't want to have to like, announce it. It'll get all weird and they'll _laugh_ at us." I pouted.

"Maybe we should just kiss in front of them and let them draw their own conclusions." He grinned.

"That might actually work! Have a sit down Dylan-Munroe family dinner, and then just- boom. They'll never see it coming."

"Mmh. You mean like this?" He leaned in and kissed me gently. I smiled against his lips, then dragged my hand up to his hair and kissed him back.

"Yeah, like that." I said when we pulled apart. "_Exactly_ like that."

* * *

It takes another couple of weeks for everything to go to hell. And all it takes for it all to go to hell is a text message.

The text came the day before the interview, of _course_. Like I wasn't already freaking out enough.

_From: Unknown number_

_Hey, babe. Just thought I'd let you know I'm in town. Maybe we can meet up?_

_- Amy xoxox_

* * *

That day, Chad drove me to the studio because, as it turned out, Marshall had the first drafts of our new season ready, and apparently if we started learning them, we wouldn't be worked so hard when rehearsals started officially. It seemed like a pretty good deal to me, seeing as we didn't really have to do any actual _work_, and we were cutting down the actual work we'd have to do later. Chad drove me because we'd decided we _needed_ to tell our families we were together (together-together) and that was gonna take perfectly formed plans to calm our nerves that we'd never actually use when the time came. He sat in me and Tawni's dressing room while we had a quick cast meeting in the Prop House.

And then my phone buzzed, and I read _the message,_ because the last few weeks had been so_ normal_, and I wasn't expecting something that would flip everything upside down.

My phone dropped through my fingers and clattered to the floor, and all the conversation stopped. My cast-mates turned to look at me questioningly. I stared at my phone, wide-eyed.

"Sonny? You okay?" Nico asked. Tawni put a hand on my shoulder. I shook my head slowly, unable to find my voice. It felt like a tonne weight had slid right into my stomach.

"What is it, honey?" Tawni asked. When I didn't answer, Nico reached for my phone.

I snapped my head up. "No!"

He held his hands up, placating, making a show of _not_ touching my phone. I took in a shaky breath and looked down at my phone, then back up at my cast-mates.

My phone buzzed again. I didn't pick it up.

"Get Chad," I heard Nico mutter to Zora. She ran off quickly. A small part of me marvelled at the sight of them accepting him enough to go to him when they couldn't get through to me, but the rest of me was numb and screaming _no, not now, please_ and I felt the familiar coil of panic tighten my chest.

Chad and Zora came in a minute later. Chad's confusion transformed to shock pretty quickly when he saw me.

"What made her get like this?" I heard him ask. Tawni nodded down at my phone. He knelt down to pick it up carefully, like it was holding some kind of contagious disease, and unlocked it to look at the message. I heard his breath falter. He pressed some buttons, presumably opening the second message, then swore. He turned to me quickly, sliding my phone into his pocket.

"Is this the first one?" He asked. I nodded, just a tiny bob of the head. Even that one little movement felt exhausting. It felt like I couldn't get enough air. "I think you need to see this," Chad said, keeping his voice as gentle as possible. He pulled my phone out again and held it out to me.

His voice was remarkably calm, considering how hard his hands were shaking. I looked at the second message.

It was my address.

My psycho/stalker/non-friend had my address.

The little coil of panic in my chest snapped into place, and I felt my breathing get faster, harder. Without thinking, I grabbed at my face. My breathing was completely out of my control. It felt like I couldn't get enough oxygen into my lungs, and the panic, it felt like a physical thing, pressing down right into my ribcage, right over my heart.

Chad reached for me, pulled me into a hug, but in this state, it didn't help, because I was having a panic attack, and I couldn't- I couldn't-

- _breathe._

Distantly, I was aware of the arms around me, of the hands on my back and the voices calling (screaming?) at me, but all I could focus on was the pounding of blood in my ears, the cold-hot slip and slide of sweat on my hands and the feeling my body was going to collapse under the sheer pressure of the panic I was feeling. In a detached way, I could hear my breathing coming in through a too hard, too quick rhythm of _gasp-gasp-gasp_ but nothing in my body was under my control. The panic took the place of rational thought, and all I could think about was the feeling of small, warm hands on my face and the feel of sharp, cool metal running along my calves and the sickening smell of blood and the pain, oh my gosh, so much pain, so much, so much-

* * *

It felt like hours before I surfaced, but in reality it could have been only minutes. Eventually, I gathered awareness of things like my boyfriend's arm wrapped tight around my shoulders, and my cast's shocked faces. Somewhere between the beginning and the end, I'd been pushed to sit down on the couch. My hands were shaking violently, and the panic was still too near the surface for me to form words. But my breathing settled, just a little, and there were no longer black spots dancing across my vision.

That was a positive, I guessed.

"Wanna tell me what _that_ was?" Chad's voice cracked down the middle, and I managed to meet his eyes.

"Panic attack." I rasped out. He rubbed a hand down my back comfortingly. "I just- got overwhelmed. For a second."

"That was the scariest thing I have _ever_ seen." He said quietly. "And if it was scary to watch, I don't even want to imagine how it felt to experience."

I closed my eyes, trying to keep my breathing from picking up again. "Sorry."

He shook his head violently. "No, don't you dare! You don't have anything to apologise for. _She_, on the other hand- when I get my hands on her, there's not gonna be enough left of her for the police to investigate her murder." He lifted a hand to brush my hair out of my face, so gentle I could barely feel it as his fingers brushed my cheek. "And that's a promise."

* * *

**And so, the Amy arc begins :D I'm sorry if any of this seems rushed. What do you guys think? I removed a few scenes from my original plan to speed the story progress up a bit. My babies are finally back in Hollywood :)**

**I hope no one hated the panic attack sequence. I've been on the receiving end of a few fairly brutal panic attacks in the past couple of weeks (claustrophobia trigger- ouch) and it's been weighing on my mind. If any of you have ever been triggered, you can talk to me about it.**

**The Amy arc is the last arc of this story. DIKY is drawing to a close, but we have a fair few chapters to go yet! :D**

**Please review! We're actually very, very close to being the number one most reviewed story in the SWAC archive- it's a close tie with the story 'Neighbours', and it would be amazing if we could pull out in front of it and come out on top. What do you say, guys? :) Reviews are love!**

**Love, **

**Hannah xo**


	75. This Is The Sound

**Surprise! It's a short update, but it took less than a month! *grins* You guys DESERVE THIS, for two reasons;**

**(i) You guys broke through **_**Neighbors**_**! We are OFFICIALLY the number one story in the archive by more than 15 reviews! The response to the last chapter was incredible. I am SO thankful for you guys :)**

**(ii) Happy second anniversary, DIKY! *throws confetti* It's been two years since this story was first published. Thank you for carrying me this far, guys. You've been better to me than I deserve. :D**

**Note: I wrote this when I was ill, dizzy and possibly incoherent (and without a plan to guide me!). Please tell me if there are any glaring typos and/or scenes that make no sense.**

**Warning: character indecision leading to difficult to read run-on sentences. Angst. (possibly unrealistic faith in the power of love)**

* * *

_****"This is the sound  
Of a heartbeat  
this the sound  
From the discontented mouths  
__Of a heart and nation  
__We are the voice of breaking down."_

**Switchfoot- This Is The Sound**

* * *

**Sonny**

Have you ever been so confused by a decision that it literally feels like it's tearing you in two?

I have.

The first thing Chad said, after rubbing a hand up and down my back (to help regulate my breathing), was "_Let's get you home,"_

And I just... stopped for a second, as two different scenarios played out in my mind. In the first, when I got home_ she_ was there, maybe in the kitchen with my mom, having introduced herself as my _friend_. Maybe she would have a knife in her pocket, maybe she had come to tell her about the time I pushed her when she was holding a knife and it cut her face, maybe she was threatening my mom- my mom, who didn't know, who _couldn't _know because I hadn't told her, maybe, maybe, maybe...

Or maybe I got home and my mom asked me how my day was, why was I shaking, honey, what's wrong, what's happening? And I would sit there, my tongue tied and my hands shaking and my heart pounding as I tried to find the words to tell her the story I'd never been brave enough to tell anyone except my best friend/boyfriend, and when I did, she'd look so hurt, so scared, so _panicked and disappointed_ and-

I knew I couldn't deal with either. I wasn't strong enough, or brave enough. When it came to Amy, I was broken down and defeated before I'd even crossed the starting line. Just a scared little girl running from my problems, but now the skeleton in closet was free; the monster under the bed was coming to get me.

The panic, still _so close _to the surface, tightened my chest again. I dug my fingernails into my palms hard enough to hurt and took a deep breath.

"No." I said, my voice small.

"No?" Chad echoed.

"She's going to get there." _Deep breath_. "She'll be there." And then my mind circled back to scenario 1, fast enough to make me dizzy. "But- my mom, oh my gosh, my mom, she doesn't know, if she doesn't know _she_ will get to her and no, that can't happen, it _can't_."

He touched my face again, feather light. "You need to go home, Sonny. Even just for a minute or two. Even just to tell your mom."

I shook my head franticly. "But- she'll never look at me the same, Chad, she'll be pulled between pity and disappointment and fear, and she's gonna be so _hurt_, and she's gonna look at me, and she'll say 'are you my daughter? Because I don't know you,' and I'll have lost her trust forever, and there's no going back from that, not ever." By the end my voice had risen to something near hysteria, and he caught my hand.

"Hey, look at me. _Look_ at me." I met his eyes just barely. "That's not gonna happen, okay? Sure, she'll be scared, but she loves you, and you two are going to protect each other. She's not going to blame you, because this isn't your fault." He wound an arm around my waist and pulled me in tight. "I'll be right here the whole time, and you're gonna be so brave, you're gonna face up to Amy, and she's going to look at you and wish she'd _never_ laid a hand on you. We're gonna do that, you and I. Amy will be gone- forever!- and everything is going to be okay."

And despite all my panic, and all my fear- somewhere deep inside me, conviction welled up, stronger than I thought I was capable of- because I _believed_ him, and I believed _in_ him, and believed in- us. Something in me loosened, because for the first time, I really, truly _believed_ it would be okay- that I had a time ahead of me that was free from Amy Michaels.

"Love you," I breathed. He pressed his face into my hair and smiled.

* * *

The walk up the stairs to my apartment had never seemed so long. Chad pulled me along gently. (always gentle). As we approached my door, fear tried to swallow me and I opened my mouth to ask for- for escape, I guessed, but Chad said "You can _do this,_" under his breath, and I opened the door instead.

Mom was in the kitchen, but she came out when she heard us come in, smiling hugely. "Hey, kids. You're home early!" As we got closer to her, though, her smile faltered into a look of shocked concern. "What happened?"

My mouth felt dry. My throat was too tight. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out and-

-and then Chad squeezed my hand, just a simple little movement to say _I'm right here_ and that conviction flooded through me again.

"Mom," I whispered. "I need to tell you something."

Mothers, when it comes to their children, have a sixth sense when it comes to their children. My mom's face tightened, and she sat down on the couch, beckoning me forward. I sat down beside her, feeling all at once young again and older than I'd ever been. Unable to help myself, I melted into her side, resting my forehead on her shoulder, as the little voice in the back of my mind started to chant that _this is the last time you'll get to do this, don't you see, once you tell her you won't ever have this again._

With shaking hands, she stroked my hair.

And I gathered it all in with a deep inhale, and when I let my breath out, I began.

* * *

Her hands never faltered in stroking my hair.

* * *

When I was done, at first she didn't speak, and fear ripped me open and I tried to pull away, but my mom's warm hands pulled me back in, and she said, "Baby girl, it's okay." She moved her hand from my hair to twine her arms around me and pull me in close as I started to cry, deep heaving sobs that seemed to come from somewhere buried down inside- the place where the most painful secrets hide, until they come to light. And despite my tears, it felt like one last burden had been lifted from my shoulders and I felt light and freer than I ever remembered being, even when I found my best friend again, even when I realised I was in love- for real this time. Some link, tiny but strong, had snapped, and it felt- _incredible_.

Eventually my sobs died down, and my mom leaned back to cup my chin in her hands. "Never, _ever_ keep something like that from me again, do you understand me?" I nodded. She kissed my forehead. "It's going to be okay, baby girl. This time around, your family's here, and we can protect you. She'll never hurt you again." She slid her arms away from me gently, walking back towards the kitchen, and I sagged into the couch. It was barely the afternoon, but I already felt wrung out from the roller coaster I'd been on. My head was spinning slightly, and the urge to just curl up and go to sleep was strong.

"Ah, ah, ah," Chad chided me. "Come on, up." His hands guided me into a sitting position and I sagged against him instead. "It's not time for bed yet, Sonny."

"'M tired." I mumbled.

"I know that, babe. But if you stay awake now, you might actually be able to sleep through the night, and tomorrow's going to be busy."

I groaned and pushed away from him. "Crap, the interview!" I ran a hand through my hair tiredly. "It could _not _be at a worse time."

Chad nodded grimly. "I know," He repeated, "but we have to go through with it if we want jobs. Needs must, and all that. Hey, at the worst, I can bring Esme with me and release her into the crowd. They'll be too busy fawning over her dimples to even notice us." He grinned at me, and I smiled back reluctantly. His grin spread and he poked my cheek happily. "There's that smile!"

At a time like this, his insistence that I should smile, and do interviews, and generally carry on may have seemed strange to the eye of an outsider. But Chad knew me better than anyone, and he knew if I wallowed I'd let fear swallow me whole. It was only recently he figured that one out, I'd thought. And I was grateful that he had.

We spent the afternoon watching TV and laughing- carried far away from the land of angry step-fathers and vengeful ex-friends; far away from bruises and scars and the pain of separation. We had each other. Now, we could carry on, because we could spread the weight of hurt and fear and all the bad things between the two of us. It was amazing how much easier it was.

* * *

I didn't sleep well, that night. Fear is tricky; in the light of day, it can be carried far away and in the presence of family, it can seem a thousand times lighter, and therefore bearable. At night, alone and in the dark, even the simplest things can transform into dark things dragging us down deeper, away from the light and our fear can burrow even further into our minds. For me, that night was one of those; I prayed a lot, and I slept, but badly, and it seemed altogether long years and short minutes before my alarm went off, calling me back into the day.

Mom drove me to the studio, and said nothing until I was getting the car, when she said, "You'll be _amazing_," before letting me leave. She and Chad's family were going to meet up in the seating area for the audience at the studio '_Gotcha!_' was filmed at. I wondered whether or not Chad had told them, whether Mom would. I didn't know the answer, but I did know that I was fine with them knowing; they were family, after all.

Chad met me in the Prop House armed with coffee and a smile. He looked as tired as I felt. We sat quietly, talking in body language and glances. I felt calm for the first time that morning.

The interview was set for noon, and we were due to arrive at the '_Gotcha!_' the set at eleven. Condor had asked us to come to our own studio first, presumably to give us a mix of last minute encouragements and poorly veiled threats to our jobs. I

I found I didn't mind; it was something comforting in it's familiarity. I stared down at my coffee as he talked, hearing the words but not bothering to unscramble their meaning. As we set off for the other set, we passed Tawni, who flashed us a thumbs up and an encouraging smile. I gave a half smile back.

As we approached the studio, my stomach started to churn with the old, familiar twist- sink of nerves and nausea. I shoved my half-drunk coffee at Chad quickly, suddenly paranoid that I could taste bile at the back of my throat.

Everything seemed surreal as we were led backstage to the make-up artists. The woman assigned to me tutted at the circles under my eyes and set to work with her fluffy brush. The artist assigned to Chad eyed him critically before announcing that the barely-there hints of bruising that were still visible on his face were a good 'angle' for the 'look' of the interview. I glared at her from the corner of my eye, but Chad just jutted his chin out and said nothing.

As we were herded to the stage, still hidden from the audience by a curtain, I felt a stab of doubt.

"Curtains up in ten!"

What if I froze?

"Nine!"

I wasn't exactly feeling well.

"Eight!"

What if they laughed at me?

"Seven!"

What if at the last minute, Amy ran in, screaming that she had a story to tell about Sonny Munroe?

"Six!"

Chad, feeling me stir, reached for my hand.

"Five!"

_It's going to be okay. _He said with his eyes.

"Four!"

Calm spread through me.

"Three!"

It was going to be okay.

"Two!"

Now, for the moment of truth.

"_One_."

* * *

**Phew! It's finished! I wrote this entire thing within a couple of hours guys. I had to get it up for today, to celebrate our anniversary! **

**I'm sorry it's short, but do you like it? My head is kind of spinning. The idea of a re-read is actually horrifying.**

**Reviews are love! (and good for the health. Hopefully.)**

**Love, **

**Hannah xo**

**PS Sorry for the cliff-hanger! You know you guys love me, really ;) (deep down? :D)**


	76. just breathe

**What's this? Two updates in a month? :D Happy Easter, everyone! I love you all. We're so close to 1650- just three more reviews! :)**

**P.S. When my best friend read the last chapter, she was like A CLIFFHANGER U KIDDING ME then tried to bully answers out of me. You're not the only ones tortured.**

* * *

"_And if you assume,  
Just like them  
__What good will it do?  
__So find out for yourself..."_

Flyleaf- Breathe Today

* * *

**Chad**

"And- we are LIVE!"

Gilroy walked on stage, standard shark-smile in place. I let go of Sonny's hand quickly.

"Welcome, everybody! Tonight we have some great guests- CondorTV's own Allie Munroe and Chad Dylan Cooper!" Behind us, some pictures of us flashed up on screen. With a sinking feeling, I recognised some of the pictures we'd seen in magazines speculating about our relationship- including the one where we kissed.

This wasn't going to go well.

Sonny was sitting ram-rod straight, eyes fixed on Gilroy's face- anything to keep her eyes off the stares of the audience. Gilroy leaned forward, leering, and I was suddenly glad I was sitting between him and my girlfriend.

"So, Chad, Allison. It seems you two have been keeping a pretty big secret from your fans! You two met long before you came to Hollywood, yes?"

"Yeah," I said. Sonny nodded minutely, still looking uncomfortable.

"How did you two meet, then? I'm sure everyone's dying to know."

I nudged Sonny gently, and she squared her shoulders, and forced herself to relax. She treated Gilroy to a sharp smile. "A few months before my eight birthday, I went to visit my dad's side of the family in Texas. We met in the park."

"So you've been friends for a long time then? That's so strange." He gave a little grin. "Why did you lie to your fans about your relationship?"

There we go. I rolled my eyes. "No lies were told. We actually do fight a lot- fans just took that to mean we were enemies."

"But surely you could have corrected them?"

"I'd just arrived in Hollywood. I didn't actually want to expose myself to so much drama right off," Sonny said, a cold edge to her voice. "And since our casts have their rivalry, it definitely would have brought me further into the spotlight than I was ready for."

Gilroy hummed non-committally. "So, Allie, how _are_ you handling Hollywood? Are you missing home?"

"I love it here, but I do miss Wisconsin a lot. It'll always be my true home, but Hollywood's my second home. I'm glad I moved."

"What was your high school like? There were some rumours going around that you were bullied."

"It was fine. I didn't love it, but who does? School is hard work. As for the bullying... well. What matters is I had a great group of friends who I was close to. The rest doesn't matter."

Gilroy's eyes gleamed at the information, but thankfully he moved on. "I've heard there's been some rough times between you and your cast-mates, especially when you and Cooper's little... friendship came out."

Sonny shook her head, laughing a little. "My cast is great- they've made me feel like family. We work well together."

"What about Tawni? She's hard work, huh?" I could see when Sonny realised where Gilroy was trying to lead her. Her face hardened, going from nervous to irritated.

"She's like a sister to me. She cares a lot about me; she's been my guide through celebrity politics. And she's a great actress- it's a privilege to work with someone so talented."

_And she's taught you how to do interviews_, I thought in amusement. Gilroy's disappointment was obvious on his face, but that was just the first attack.

"What about Grady? I heard you two had a little somethin', somethin' going on." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. I snorted, completely unable to help myself. "Do you have an opinion on this, Mr Cooper?"

I shook my head, grinning. Sonny slapped my arm. "Grady's a really sweet guy, but there's nothing like that between us." She said.

"But he did have a crush on you, didn't he? A big one." Somehow, Gilroy managed to make it sound insulting to both Grady _and_ Sonny. Sonny just shrugged. "And Zora's just plain _weird_. I heard she likes to play in the vents."

Sonny stiffened. "Zora's a cutie. She brings out a real protective streak in me- she's like the little sister I never had. She's unique, not weird. She breaks up the monotony like no one else can." She added with a laugh.

"What about your cast, Chad? What do they think of your friendship with Allie?"

I shrugged. "I'm not close with most of my cast; most of them don't really care, as long as they're not getting bad press. Marta and Devon were weird about it, but when it comes down to it- it's not really their business, so it doesn't really have a big impact. I know Chastity _loves_ Sonny, though.

"So, you two have been friends for a _long_ time. Is there anything you can tell us about each other that your fans definitely don't know?"

Sonny smirked. I groaned, "Oh, _man_. Did you have to ask something like that? That's an evil question."

Gilroy grinned. "In the spirit of chivalry, let's go with ladies first. Allie, what can you tell us about Mr Cooper no one in the audience knows?" So he was still digging for dirt. Did he really think we'd give it up on each other?

I stared at the side of Sonny's head. She ignored me, and gave Gilroy a fixed smile. "Chad is addicted to coffee."

He shook his head. "Well-known fact. Try again."

"He knows _ALL_ the words to the Pokemon theme tune." I gave her a dirty look. "Every single one."

Gilroy gave a little smile. Sure, it was something embarrassing, but it was nothing huge. Sonny nudged me, and started humming the tune. I ignored her desperately.

He turned to me. "What about you, Chad? Any dirt on Allison?"

I smirked. "The first time she tried to watch a horror movie, she threw up. A lot."

Gilroy gave up. I grinned, then fixed the happy look on my face as he turned his full attention to me.

"So, Chad. We all have to wonder- what's happening over at _MackenZie Falls_? How's the new season coming along?"

"Still as dramatic as ever. Mack and Chloe are facing new challenges. Our directors had a huge meeting with the writers a couple of months ago, and we're trying to improve the quality of the episodes so we're still the best we can be. It's gonna be an exciting season." I rattled off. I'd all but been given a script for this part of the show.

"This will be your fifth season. How much longer do you think Mack Falls will last? Do you see a long future ahead?"

"I think we have a few years left, yeah. Obviously, it's not gonna last forever... But we've had such a good run. It's always going to be a privilege to be a part of it all."

We talked through a few more minor details, before Gilroy stood to announce we were taking a break. Sonny and I moved off the stage quickly.

…

"This is _awful_," Sonny moaned.

I shushed her. "There's cameras hidden everywhere back here," I muttered. I knew where at least three of them where. "Come on." I pointed them out as I went, counting to make sure I didn't miss any. Finally we got to a little area which I felt sure was a blind spot.

"Yeah, it really, really is." I agreed. "How are you feeling?"

"My hands are shaking, look!" She held them out to me. I took them in my own gently.

"You'll be fine. _I'm_ the one you should be worried about." She gave me a questioning look. "He hasn't even gotten to the questions about Charles yet."

Sonny winced. "Are you ready for them?"

I shrugged. "Kind of have to be, don't I?"

She sighed. "I guess so." She leaned in to wrap her arms around me. "We'll be fine, right?"

"Right."

Just then, her phone began to ring. She took it out, then winced as she caught the Caller ID.

"It's Amy."

* * *

"What's all this about your step-father? Don't think there's anyone who hasn't noticed that you're a little banged up." His voice was full of carefully added sympathy. I narrowed my eyes, and breathed deeply. This would be the first time I'd really be admitting to this- I had to do it right, not like I was looking for attention, not like I was a liar... Not like I'd made the right choice by letting all that had happened happen. Sonny's hands curled into fists.

"My step-father is... a bully, and kind of a control freak. So, yeah, sometimes he slapped me around a bit, but, uh... My mom was happy with him. I didn't want to tell her. He... manipulated her. A lot. When we first got here, he helped us out with, y'know, getting a place to live, getting my mom a job, etcetera, etcetera. He made her think she was falling in love with him. And I think he did- does- love her, kind of- but it's not an excuse." My hands clenched. "None of it is. It wasn't fun, it wasn't healthy, but- he told me that if I kept quiet, he'd keep from hitting my sisters. And I was thirteen- maybe fourteen- and I was too shocked, too freaked out, to see any other option. So I went with it. But, but recently, he hit my little sister- she's fifteen- and I was like, enough is enough. I didn't want to deal with him any more. He hurt my sister, he went over the line. And now he's out of our lives, and I don't regret it, I don't regret him getting caught. I'm glad, 'cause we don't ever have to deal with that kind of behaviour again." My mouth dropped open as the audience began to applaud me, so loud it felt deafening. Some started to stand up.

I was getting a standing ovation.

I didn't look at Gilroy, not at the audience. I looked down at my hands carefully.

"So what it comes down to is... keeping your sisters safe?" Gilroy said, as the clapping finally died down. He looked so _shocked_. It was almost funny.

I nodded, smiling just a little. "That's exactly it."

He visibly tried to pull himself back together. "So... do you have any advice for anyone in a similar situation?"

The question struck me silent. I opened my mouth, then closed it again. It- wasn't exactly something I'd thought about before. Not exactly a question I was expecting. I glanced at Sonny, hoping for help. She just shrugged at me, helpless.

"No matter what they tell you..." I said eventually, "... you don't deserve it, and it's not your fault. You've got to understand that, that it's not something you did, it's not because there's something wrong with you. You might not even be sure what counts as, uh, abuse, and what doesn't. No matter what, it's never going to be right, or fair. It's not okay. That's what you've gotta concentrate on- it's not okay. And you need help. It's not going to stop until you do something that will _make_ it stop. It won't be a one time thing."

The audience started to clap again. I shifted uncomfortably- it felt too loud, too close. And it felt like I'd given too much away. Sonny brushed her hand against my arm.

* * *

Amy Michaels stroked the TV screen contentedly. "Soon, Sonny," She whispered to the figure on the screen. "Soon we'll be together again..."

* * *

**Sorry it's short! I did my best. Obviously, there'll be a part two :P What did you all think? Tell me in a review!**

**:)**

**Love, **

**Hannah xo**


	77. auguries of innocence

**First of all, I can't begin to apologise for the delay. A few rough things happened last month, but I really should have been focusing more on my writing. Thank you so much to those of you who've stuck around. You really are brilliant. :)**

**Second- oh mY DAYS GUYS THOUGH**

**WE BROKE 1700 REVIEWS WHICH IS**_** HUGE**_**! I can't begin to talk about how I feel about this. I'm just so overwhelmed by the support DIKY continues to receive. Thank you so, so much, everyone.**

* * *

_"Joy and woe are woven fine,  
a clothing for the soul divine_

_Under every grief and pine  
Runs a joy with silken twine."_

**William Blake- Auguries of Innocence**

* * *

**Sonny**

"And what about you, Miss Munroe? Any advice for Hollywood hopefuls?"

I shifted uncomfortably, my fingers twitching on Chad's arm. I smiled at Gilroy sunnily. "Don't change yourself for LA. And find someone to hold you down; to anchor you, stop you from changing."

"Adorable," Gilroy says, teeth gritted behind his smile. I felt my own smile widen into a smirk; the guy had been trying to play us, and he wasn't succeeding; he was _losing_. And damn, if that didn't feel good, I didn't know what did. Not for the first time recently, I felt like me and Chad's so-called luck was turning- and good things were coming.

Of course, of course, the Amy problem didn't go away. The end of the interview was overwhelming as we were led over to _greet_ fans, and okay, I was definitely close to an anxiety attack. But Chad kept a hand twisted through mine, and I let myself feel anchored. Safe.

A girl burst into tears when Chad gave her his autograph. Chad looked like a deer in the headlights, but when she managed to get a handle on herself, she managed to say, "Thank you for telling your story. I was abused for years, and, and... I always blamed myself for some reason. And now- now I don't feel so alone."

Chad looked gut-punched, and for a brief moment, I felt like the anchor. He leaned in, careful, and gave her a hug.

In school, I'd never been a part of the popular crowd. I wasn't- I wasn't bullied outright, apart from what you already know, but mostly I was just... Excluded. There weren't many who got in my face. But there were fewer who wanted to know me and spoke to me in the corridor and this- this was just so _much, _but it was so, so good. People lit up when I smiled at them, they knew my _name_, they wanted me to sign an _autograph_, they looked at it like it was made of pure gold.

Awe-inspiring. That's the feeling I was trying to describe. It just- filled me with sheer, utter awe.

* * *

"You were so _good_!" Tawni gushed, as we made our way past the fans. I grumbled but didn't pull away when she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me in. The hug didn't go as smoothly as she wanted, though- the hand Chad was keeping captive in his own didn't allow that. It hadn't quite connected, somehow, last night, that Chad was going to be completely, compulsively unable to let go of me for long out of sheer need to keep me in sight. That with the threat lurking near, he wouldn't be able to _stop_ himself. With anyone, _anyone_ else, it would have been annoying and aggravating- and just _unbearable_, but for some reason the iron grip he kept on my hand just made me feel disgustingly fond. Heck, it would have been annoying coming from _him_ a few months ago, but since then there had been too many confessions for that to continue. Instead it made me want to kiss his dumb face (and stupidly safe).

"I taught you so _well_!" Tawni continued, ignoring the physical awkwardness and almost nuzzling into my hair in her contentment. This was another stupidly nice feeling. "Gilroy didn't stand a chance, oh my _gosh_, because I'm a great teacher and also pretty."

"Yeah, yeah, you're the greatest, I'm singing your praises," I grinned, pressing closer despite myself. "Not that I _need_ to, since you're clearly delighted with yourself."

"I'm also delighted with _you_," she whispered, "but don't tell anyone, I have reputation to keep up."

I hummed happily. "I wouldn't dream of it." She released me then, tossing her hair slightly like she could brush off the show of positive emotion. It didn't hurt the way it used to when she did that; I'd learned that that was just _Tawni_, to blow hot and cold constantly, never happy to let down her defenses for too long, content to, instead, be an enigma and grab on tight to the attention she got wherever she went. And it was only around then that I started to look at that as something that was _okay_ instead of something that needed to be fixed. Because she wasn't pretending to be something she wasn't- just keeping safe what she felt needed to be guarded. Tawni was, if nothing else, always wholly and completely herself. What she had was something rare for a teenaged girl- healthy self esteem. And that was something to admire, not to fix.

The others moved towards us, Zora leading them. Because my cast had come to watch the interview, albeit from the backstage so as not to cause a ruckus. The boys still weren't as comfortable around me as they were before they found out about me and Chad. It made me kind of sad, but I understood. I understood that Grady had still been nursing a- a hope, I supposed, that I would give him the time of day, and now he'd figured it out, he just wanted some space to lick his wounds and adapt. And Nico followed in his steps, because those boys were damn loyal, and never far apart- sometimes when I was butt tired and slurring, they became NicoandGrady in my head. Two halfs of a whole, almost like Chad and I, but strictly non-sexual. They were smiling now, though, coming closer than they had in weeks.

"You did good." Grady offered, and little smile had played around his mouth, though his eyes were pointedly not looking at where Chad and I joined at the hand. The part of me that wasn't made of Chad and soft squishy feelings and sarcasm was always going to be the part of me that _lived_ for making other people smile, and that little smile did more to settle my anxiety about the situation than any combination of words could have. Nico grinned and blew me a kiss, playfully flirtatious as always. I felt the break down of the distance between them and I, and it felt good.

Zora, as always, gave me strong sisterly feelings that I didn't bother to suppress. She gave me a smile that suggested I was pretty darn awesome, and made sure to point out her slingshot was not present.

None of them, however, really _looked_ at Chad, despite the animosity between them being almost completely gone. And it looked like none of his own cast had come, and that made my chest hurt. But it made sense- the only cast member he was really friends with was Chastity, and it wouldn't have made sense for Mr. Condor to only let one member of the main cast out.

"If you're all finished acting like the cast of a Lifetime movie," Chad said, "Sonny and I have places to be." I felt my stomach clench at the reminder of the upcoming conversations. "Later, losers!"

* * *

We'd been serious about finally telling our families about ~_us. _The idea was actually making me feel physically nauseated, because the Dylans were notoriously smug when they got to say _I told you so_.

But the truth was, we were both kind of 100% done with lying to people, especially those closest to us. We'd let the Randoms- and Chastity- in soon enough, but family came first (always).

As we walked out of the studio into the sticky August sun, I asked him, "Did you tell your family about Amy?"

Chad hesitated a little. "Yeah, I did. Of course I did. Is that... Was that not okay?" He turned to study me, suddenly uncertain.

I shook my head. "No, no, of course. I'm glad you told them. I would've if you hadn't," I paused, then smiled shyly. "That's one less big thing to tell them."

He scoffed. "This isn't a _big thing_. They've been anticipating it for so long it'll barely be a blip on their radar. Uh, hopefully."

"Hopefully." We reached where our respective families had parked, then. Chad nodded at me. I beamed at my mom.

"Since Chad and I are fabulous, we we would make lunch for everyone."

"A Munrolyn dinner, if you will." Chad added.

"But since, uh, our table is tiny, we thought we'd have it at the Dylan house."

"But _then_ we remembered that the Dylan house is covered in _boxes_,"

"Which was _just as well, _because neither of us can cook particularly well."

"Do you two have a point?" Julia asked, raising an eyebrow delicately.

"We're going out for lunch," Chad managed. Mom and Julia shared what could definitely be called a _teenagers, right_ look, which we kindly ignored, then nodded.

"Sounds good," Mom said. "I assume you'll be footing the bill?"

"Of course!" I assured her, widening my eyes innocently.

* * *

Chad passed me the salt.

"Thank you, baby." I said.

Vanessa gave me a calculating look.

I dropped my fork. The whole table turned around. "We've been together since Charles got arrested," I said, then stole a fry off Chad's plate.

They stared some more. Mom knocked over a jug of water.

"I lost the bet," Chad said to me. "I was expecting them to start talking over each other, not stare at us like we'd grown an extra arm."

I looked at him. "Ten bucks, angel cake."

Chad sighed.

Hayley turned to her sisters. "I just won three hundred dollars." She sipped her Coke, somehow managing to make the movement smug. "Suckers!" She added.

"I hate everything," Chad said, watching as Mom, Julia and Vanessa all gave Hayley money.

"Don't worry, Chaddy!" Hayley smirked at us. "If you had've waited another month, crazy Aunt May would've won seven hundred, so."

"And you have me, that's a fair trade off." I said, grinning.

He grabbed my hand, smiling. "True."

Vanessa made retching noises. Chad flipped her off. (So did I.) Mom and Julia only yelled a little.

* * *

The only thing more frightening than a threat is a threat not followed through. Threats hang over our heads, heavy and present but- predictable. When they aren't followed through, they don't just go away. They're still there. They just- haven't dropped down and hit us 'round the head yet. And they're not predictable any more. They're off our radar, and if you ever asked me, that was ten times as scary as a threat followed through could ever be.

* * *

There was silence from Amy. For over a _week_.

* * *

And then the threat fell.

* * *

**My loves, I'm sorry this is short. It's not even close to being an equal trade off for the wait you endured, but the next chapter will be longer. I PROMISE.**

**Reviews are love! (or bricks you wanna throw at the author if that's what you want I guess)**

**Love, **

**Hannah xox**

**PS KyraLeigh13 wrote a song for this fic and IT'S AMAZING I CRY**

**THERE'S A LINK ON MY PROFILE.**


	78. this isn't over- an AN on updates

Hey guys! It's been a long time and I'm really, really, really, REALLY sorry! This school year has been super anxiety inducing and busy! However, once my mocks finish I'm going to sit down and freaking well write the final five or so chapters of DIKY! I'm hoping to crank them out over the course of a month or so, starting in the first week of February, as I'm hoping my teachers will give some post-exam downtime! So, if you're still reading *cringe* look out for me then!

PS: Argue my sweet friend, sorry I missed you. Hope you see this!


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